By Brad Greer

Although not as thrilling as the last time the teams met in post-season play a year ago, South Panola and Vicksburg’s best-of-three play-in series this weekend was still filled with excitement.

But in the end the Tiger pitching proved too strong as South Panola moved into first round play of the North 6A State playoffs by defeating the Gators two games to one Saturday afternoon at Vicksburg’s Bazinsky Field.

Game one of the series began Friday night at South Panola where the Tigers led 8-0 with one out in the fifth inning before a torrential downpour led to a suspension of the game. Play resumed Saturday with South Panola scoring two runs in the bottom half of the fifth to take a 10-0 victory

Vicksburg staved off elimination in game two with a 10-7 win to force game three where the Tigers coasted to 10-1 victory behind Hunter Ivy’s complete game four-hitter.

South Panola (16-16) will face off against Region 1 champion Southaven (19-7) in game one of a three-game series starting Thursday night at 6 p.m. in Southaven. Game two will switch to South Panola Friday at 7 p.m. with game three, if necessary, at Southaven Saturday at a time yet to be decided.

The Tigers took advantage of six Vicksburg errors in the first three innings to take an 8-0 lead in game one. Andrew Horne got things started with a double in the first and later scored on an error for a 1-0 lead. South Panola struck for four runs on two hits in the second as the Gators committed four errors.

Dashawn Lindsay led off by reaching on an error before Taylor Meek singled to put runners on the corners. Following a strikeout, Will Dickins and Chris Townsend reached on a pair of errors that produced two runs. Tays Hardy later delivered a two-run single to drive in Dickins and Townsend for a 5-0 Tiger lead.

South Panola tacked on three more runs in the following innings on back-to-back doubles by Dickins and Blake Darby. After play was halted Friday, the game picked up Saturday where the Tigers scored two runs in the bottom with the fifth to end the game.

Ivy worked 4.1 innings to pick up the win on the mound as the sophomore gave up two hits and struck out three. Horne finished the game on the hill by facing four batters in the fifth.

 Vicksburg- 10, S. Panola- 7 (Game two)

Aided by a seven-run third inning, Vicksburg squared up the series at 1-1 with a 10-7 victory. The Gators took a 3-0 lead in the second before South Panola struck for five runs in the third to take a 5-3 advantage.

The lead did not last long as Vicksburg sent 11 batters to the plate in the bottom half of the frame off Tiger hurlers Meek and Horne.

South Panola closed the margin to 10-7 in the fifth but could not get any closer as Gator starting pitcher Clyde Kendrick tossed the complete game victory. The Hinds Community College signee walked eight but struck out nine while throwing 154 pitches.

Horne led the Tiger six-hit Tiger attack with a double and two singles. Lindsay added a two-run single while Townsend and Chance Whitten chipped in with singles.

South Panola pulled off the defensive gem of the day by turning a triple play in the fourth inning. With Gator runners on first and second and no outs, Josh Sterling popped up a bunt when Tiger relief pitcher Tays Hardy made a diving catch at second. He then threw to Dickins who tossed the ball to first to complete the play.

S. Panola – 10 Vicksburg- 1 (Game three)

The Tigers pounded out 14 hits to clinch the series by scoring three runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.

Ivy improved to 7-1 on the season with a four-hit complete game. Ivy, who lowered his earned run average to 1.32 on the season, fanned six while walking one batter.

Townsend led the Tigers with three doubles and a single while driving in three runs. Whitten followed with a two-run home run and a pair of singles.

Darby added three singles and scored three runs while Horne contributed with two singles and a run batted in. Bobby Epps, Meek and Hardy all singled in the victory.