As McComb Tigers reliever Trey Terrell made his final pitch in his team’s 13-2, six-inning victory over the Pike County Pirates, Tigers’ shortstop Bud Britt let loose with a celebratory yet seemingly prophetic statement.
“This one’s for the championship,” Britt hollered as Terrell got the Pirates’ Robin Beard to ground out to first baseman Treven Johnston for the game’s final out.
The victory Friday night at McComb Rotary Field gave the Tigers (9-1) the No. 1 seed in next week’s four-team Southeastern Baseball League playoffs beginning Thursday. It also moved them one step closer to a rematch for the league title against the only team that has beaten them this season, the McComb Brakemen.
“I’m not saying we’re getting big-headed,” Tigers head coach Bradley Brock said, “but if we play our game, we’ve got one of the final two spots.”
Terrell and McComb starter Hunter McCullough combined to throw five innings of two-hit, shutout ball en route to the win. The Pirates (0-8) didn’t help themselves with six errors in the field.
“It’s the same story, different page,” Pirates head coach Trent Ramshur said. “We made errors and we got outhit.”
Ramshur also congratulated the Tigers for their regular-season league championship, calling them “a good hitting team. Our pitching was good, but they just got good hits.”
The Tigers broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run second inning that included four Pike County errors to go with just two McComb hits.
Blake Terrell led off the inning with a bunt single that hugged the third-base line. One out later, Pirates’ shortstop Kade Guilbeau fielded Ryan Johnston’s grounder, but his throw sailed high over first base and out of the park, sending the runners to second and third.
Terrell came home with the lead run when Shannon Carter’s fly ball was dropped by right fielder Jason O’Hera.
After Brock walked to load the bases, Jarvis Wilbert lined a single to center that plated Johnston and Carter. The base hit skipped past center fielder Beard, allowing Brock to score. The speedy Wilbert also motored home when Beard’s throw in was dropped by Guilbeau for another miscue, sending McComb’s lead to 7-2.
McCullough, meanwhile, finally found his groove. After surrendering a pair of first-inning runs, the right-hander retired the Pirates in order in the second, striking out two.
McCullough also helped himself at the plate with a leadoff double in the top of the third. After a passed ball moved him to third and a walk to Blake Terrell, Joseph Landry launched a double into the right-center field gap to score both runners for a 9-2 advantage.
The Pirates were spared more damage by third baseman Bob Allen, who made two sparkling plays. First, Allen dived to his left to snare a Ryan Johnston line drive for the inning’s second inning. He then made a shoestring catch of a Carter pop fly, then fired a strike to second baseman Clayton Holmes to double off Landry for the third out.
The Tigers padded their lead in the fourth. Brock led off with a double off the right-field fence, then went to third on a balk. He scored on Wilbert’s single that bounced over the head of O’Hera in right, allowing Wilbert to advance to third. He scored one out later on Treven Johnston’s grounder to short that extended the lead to 11-2.
McComb capped the evening’s scoring with two runs in the sixth.
With one out, Brock reached on his third hit of the game, a high chopper off the plate for an infield single. He advanced to second on the play when catcher Randy Bracey’s throw was dropped by Ramshur at first for another error.
After a walk to Wilbert, Brock went to third on a wild pitch and scored when Britt reached on another wild pitch on a walk to him.
Wilbert, who moved to third on the two wild pitches, scored on Trey Terrell’s two-out infield single for the 13-2 cushion.
“We came out swinging the bats better than we have,” Brock said. “The guys actually feel like they’ve got something to play for. They can smell it now.”
McComb took a 2-0 lead in the first on Brock’s infield single and Britt’s two-run home run off the light pole in left field.
The Pirates tied the game in the bottom of the first. A leadoff double by Gailbeau and walks to Bracey and Colton Laird loaded the bases with nobody out.
Ramshur followed with a bloop single to center that plated Gailbeau. Bracey scored with one out on a Corey Garber fielder’s choice.
