Tigers prevail over Hernando in 11-inning district matchup

By Brad Greer
With all of the misfortunes bestowed on them this season, it was about time something positive happen to the  South Panola baseball team.
That opportunity came as the Tigers gutted out a 3-2 11-inning marathon victory over Hernando Tuesday at Tiger Field.
With the score knotted 2-2 in the bottom of the 11th, Gehrig Griffin raced home from third on an infield hit off the bat of Chris Casiday to give South Panola the much needed first district win.
The victory improved the Tigers record to 1-2 in district and 3-9 overall while Hernando fell to 3-1 and 10-8. The two teams meet again tonight at Hernando beginning at 5 p.m. with the junior varsity followed by varsity at 7:00.
Griffin got the winning rally started with a one-out double off Hernando reliever Conner Spencer before advancing to third on a botched pick-off throw by Spencer.
Following a walk to Braydyn Lee to put runners on the corners, Casiday hit a smash off the Hernando third basemen’s glove who recovered and threw home but was too late to get the sliding Griffin.
Nathan Herron tossed a superb four innings of relief to earn the pitching win. The junior gave up one hit and struck out four while retiring 12 of the 13 batters faced.
Anderson Wilder got the starting nod on the mound for South Panola and threw an outstanding seven innings, giving up one earned run with four strike outs and two walks.
“There are so many guys that came through for us tonight I don’t know where to start,” said Tiger head coach Jake Mills.
“First you have Chris Casiday who came off the bench and drove in the winning run. Chris is a senior who doesn’t play every day and sometime that’s hard to accept but he has an outstanding attitude and I just told him today something good was going to happen for him, I didn’t know when but it was going to happen soon and sure enough he gave us that spark we needed,” said Mills.
Hernando sent the game into extra innings as Reese Vanlandingham delivered a two-out single that scored Will Ross from third to tie the game at 2-2 in the seventh. Ross led off the frame by reaching on an error before advancing to third on a wild pitch.
South Panola put runners in scoring position in both the ninth and tenth innings, but could not get the clutch hit as Spencer struck out the final batter of the inning.
Hernando left 12 men on base while South Panola stranded seven on the basepaths.
The visiting Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the second as Spencer delivered an RBI single to bring home Vanlandingham.
South Panola answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame as Blaine Ware walked scored on a throwing error on a bunt single by Griffin.
South Panola then took a 2-1 lead in the fourth as Herron scored on the second of two Hernando miscue’s of the inning.
Hernando loaded the bases in the sixth off two bunt singles and a fielders choice but came away empty as Wilder got No.3 hitter Robert Wilke on a groundout to end the inning.
“We only had four hits in the game, but we battled and gutted it out against  their starting pitcher Hunter Riggins who I consider one of the best pitchers in the state. Anderson gave us an outstanding effort on the bump tonight and Nathan shut them down for four innings,” said Mills.
Griffin led South Panola at the plate with a double and single while Lee and Ware registered singles.
Following tonight’s district tilt at Hernando the Tigers return home Saturday to face Senatobia at 11 & 1 p.m
Hernando (JV) 8, SP 0
Hernando pounded out nine hits over four innings and was aided by a four-run fourth inning to shut up the Tigers.
John Culp and Caleb White produced singles for South Panola. Bowen Williams and Brandon Phelps pitched two innings each.