BREAKING NEWS 5
Published 12:00 am Thursday, March 3, 2016

Luke Daniels has seen some time on the mound for South Panola baseball. The Panolian photo by Will Dickins
Tigers fall in both games in round robin tournament
By Brad Greer
Unlike last season when they lost six games by three runs or less, South Panola baseball team was hoping to jumpstart the 2016 campaign with a victory at Senatobia Saturday.
But unfortunately for the Tigers one bad inning proved costly as the Warriors put up four runs in the first inning after two were out before holding off a late South Panola rally to gain a 8-7 victory. The Tigers regrouped to square off against Lake Cormorant but fell to the Gators 10-3 in a three-team round robin format.
Senatobia- 8 South Panola-7
After a rocky first inning, the Tigers scratched across a run in the second as Nathan Herron delivered a RBI single to drive in Mason Wilkerson who had walked to lead off the frame then moved to third base on a passed ball.
South Panola added two more runs in the third to close the margin to 4-3 as leadoff batter Cole Rotenberry and Noah Willis drew walks before executing a double steal. Jacob Fennel and Chase Durham followed with groundouts to drive in the two runs.
The Warriors picked up unconventional run in the bottom half of the frame as Brandon Cobbs led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a balk call then raced home on a passed ball.
The score would stay that way until the sixth inning when Senatobia tacked on three runs on one hit while taking advantage of two South Panola errors for a 8-3 lead. Cooper Stevens added the big blow with a two-run single up the middle off Tiger relief pitcher Luke Daniels that proved to be the winning runs.
South Panola did not go down quietly however as they rallied for four runs in the seventh on five walks and a pair of singles. Wilkerson recorded one of the Tigers three hits in the game with a RBI single to plate Willis who had earlier singled. Tripp Still and Chris Casiday later drew a pair of walks to force in two runs. Davis Rakestraw, the third Warrior pitcher used in the game, put out the fire as he got Rotenberry to fly out to end the game.
Durham took the loss on the mound by giving up five runs on four hits while walking five batters and striking out four in five innings of work. Daniels surrendered three runs (one earned) one two hits and one hit batter in the sixth inning. South Panola left nine men on base and committed two errors. Willis and Wilkerson each scored two runs with Rotenberry, Heron and John Railey adding one run.
Lake Cormorant – 10, SP-3
The second game of the day was never in doubt as the Class 5A Gators coached by former South Panola graduate Tyler Brewer pounded out 14 hits off three Tigers pitchers.
South Panola’s lone runs came in the third as Wilkerson drilled a three-run homerun off the left field foul pole to tie the game at 3-3. Willis, Fennel and Casiday singled to account for the other Tiger hits in the game. Anderson Wilder started on the mound and went four innings, giving up five runs ( four earned) on seven hits while walking two and fanning three batters.
Ryan McCurdy surrendered four runs on five hits in .1innings before Chris Brown finished out the game with 1.2 innings in relief.
South Panola traveled to Cleveland last night in a game that was regularly scheduled for tonight but was moved up a day due to impending weather.
Unlike last season when they lost six games by three runs or less, South Panola baseball team was hoping to jumpstart the 2016 campaign with a victory at Senatobia Saturday.
But unfortunately for the Tigers one bad inning proved costly as the Warriors put up four runs in the first inning after two were out before holding off a late South Panola rally to gain a 8-7 victory. The Tigers regrouped to square off against Lake Cormorant but fell to the Gators 10-3 in a three-team round robin format.
Senatobia- 8 South Panola-7
After a rocky first inning, the Tigers scratched across a run in the second as Nathan Herron delivered a RBI single to drive in Mason Wilkerson who had walked to lead off the frame then moved to third base on a passed ball.
South Panola added two more runs in the third to close the margin to 4-3 as leadoff batter Cole Rotenberry and Noah Willis drew walks before executing a double steal. Jacob Fennel and Chase Durham followed with groundouts to drive in the two runs.
The Warriors picked up unconventional run in the bottom half of the frame as Brandon Cobbs led off with a single, stole second, went to third on a balk call then raced home on a passed ball.
The score would stay that way until the sixth inning when Senatobia tacked on three runs on one hit while taking advantage of two South Panola errors for a 8-3 lead. Cooper Stevens added the big blow with a two-run single up the middle off Tiger relief pitcher Luke Daniels that proved to be the winning runs.
South Panola did not go down quietly however as they rallied for four runs in the seventh on five walks and a pair of singles. Wilkerson recorded one of the Tigers three hits in the game with a RBI single to plate Willis who had earlier singled. Tripp Still and Chris Casiday later drew a pair of walks to force in two runs. Davis Rakestraw, the third Warrior pitcher used in the game, put out the fire as he got Rotenberry to fly out to end the game.
Durham took the loss on the mound by giving up five runs on four hits while walking five batters and striking out four in five innings of work. Daniels surrendered three runs (one earned) one two hits and one hit batter in the sixth inning. South Panola left nine men on base and committed two errors. Willis and Wilkerson each scored two runs with Rotenberry, Heron and John Railey adding one run.
Lake Cormorant – 10, SP-3
The second game of the day was never in doubt as the Class 5A Gators coached by former South Panola graduate Tyler Brewer pounded out 14 hits off three Tigers pitchers.
South Panola’s lone runs came in the third as Wilkerson drilled a three-run homerun off the left field foul pole to tie the game at 3-3. Willis, Fennel and Casiday singled to account for the other Tiger hits in the game. Anderson Wilder started on the mound and went four innings, giving up five runs ( four earned) on seven hits while walking two and fanning three batters.
Ryan McCurdy surrendered four runs on five hits in .1innings before Chris Brown finished out the game with 1.2 innings in relief.
South Panola traveled to Cleveland last night in a game that was regularly scheduled for tonight but was moved up a day due to impending weather.