Tigers open district play at Tupelo

By Brad Greer
The South Panola Tigers looked to break a three-game losing streak on the road at Tupelo Tuesday night as district play opened up for both teams.
But unfortunately for the Tigers, the Golden Wave managed to come up with the key hit in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to break open a 1-1 deadlock to escape with a 4-2 victory.
Jackson Bridges spun a complete game pitching win by scattering two runs on seven hits with six strikeouts for Tupelo who evened their record to 6-6 on the season.
South Panola (2-8) out-hit the Wave 7-4 but stranded nine runners on base including seven in scoring position. Nathan Herron was tagged with the pitching loss after tossing 2.1 innings of relief of Tiger starting hurler Anderson Wilder.
Bridges got the sixth inning started by getting hit by a pitch. Following a sacrifice bunt, Tanner Jaggers and Gatlin Farrar reached to load the bases with one out.
After a pitching change by the Tigers, leadoff hitter Ray Sandroni hit a sinking line drive into right that was snared by Dalton Barefoot but was deep enough for Jaggers to race home to give Tupelo a 2-1 lead. Josh Smith then delivered a huge blow with a two-run double to make the score 4-1.
Down to its final three outs, South Panola made things interesting in the seventh with a two out rally as Bowen Williams and Herron singled before Blaine Ware laced a double down the left field line to score Williams and put runners on second and third with two outs.
With the tying run in scoring position. Bridges would bow his neck and strike out the South Panola hitter to secure the victory.
Sandroni gave Tupelo a 1`-0 lead with a solo home run  in the bottom half of the first off Wilder who gave up three hits while walking four and striking out two batters in 3.2 innings.
South Panola would tie the score at 1-1 in the third on Herron’s two-out double that drove in Noah Willis who had also doubled two batters earlier.
The Golden Wave threatened to take the lead in the fourth as three consecutive loaded the bases with two outs but Herron put out the fire as he coaxed Sandroni into a flyout to end the inning.
Bridges in turn got out of a jam in the sixth as South Panola put runners on second and third with one out only to have two groundouts retire the side.
Herron paced South Panola offensively with a double and two singles with Ware adding a double and single.    Herron surrendered three runs on one hit with two walks and hitting two batters.
SP (JV) 4, Tupelo 2
Reliever Wes Morgan worked out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the bottom of the fifth to earn the save for South Panola Junior Varsity squad.
Tupelo jammed the bases on three straight walks before Morgan got a popup and fanned the next batter to end the game.
Leadoff hitter Dawson Griffin singled and scored two runs for South Panola while John Culp and Gage Heath provided a run each. Brandon Phelps, Caleb White and Gehrig Griffin registered singles.
Bowen Williams got the starting nod on the mound and fanned four batters on one hit in two innings of work. Phelps followed with 2.1 innings to earn the pitching victory.
South Panola and Tupelo continue their three game set with game two of the series tonight at Tiger Field beginning at 6 p.m. South Panola visits Desoto Central tomorrow at 12 and 2 p.m.