By Brad Greer

 It was a case of  running out of time for South Panola Wednesday morning as the Tigers fell 7-5 to Lafayette County in five innings on day two of the State Games of Mississippi tournament being held at Tiger Field.

Having trailed 6-1 going into the bottom of the fourth, South Panola rallied with two runs in the fourth and fifth innings to close the margin to 7-5 only to have the game being halted after a one hour-45 minute time limit being called.

Lafayette County broke a 1-1 tie with five runs in the fourth before South Panola began to cut into the deficit in the bottom half of the frame. Dalton Barefoot got things started with a leadoff single followed by a Blane Ware single two batters later to put runners on the corner with one out.

Barefoot then came home and Ware moved to second after a balk was called on the Commodore pitcher. Chris Casiday then proceeded to drive in Ware with a two-outsingle up the middle that cut the margin to 6-3.

Lafayette County scratched across a run in the top of the fifth on a suicide squeeze only to have South Panola answer with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

  Bowen Williams and Ryan McCurdy drew consecutive walks then advanced one base on a throwing error. Brayden Locke grounded out to second plating Williams before leadoff hitter Noah Willis delivered a two-out single into right to score McCurdy, but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double that ended the game.

  South Panola grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second as Ware led off with a double and later came home on a ground out by Tripp Still. 

 Each team garnered six hits apiece with Lafayette stranding six runners on base while the Tigers left on two. Ware paced the Tigers with a single and double and two runs scored. Locke, Barefoot, Casiday and Willis collected singles. 

Chris Brown started on the mound for South Panola and gave up four runs on two hits while walking three and striking out two batters in three innings of work. Williams followed and faced only three batters without recording an out and allowed two runs on three hits. 

Nathan Herron tossed the final two innings, fanning one batter and surrendering one run.

The Tigers took on Centre Hill Thursday and faces Olive Branch today at 3 p.m. The winner of each of the three pools will advance to the championship round tomorrow.