SP Baseball defeats district champ

By Brad Greer
If one were to hang around baseball games long enough they are bound to have a strange ending so it would be only fitting Tuesday night’s South Panola game at Tupelo would come down to a bazaar finish.
With the Tigers clinging to a 3-2 lead with one out in the bottom of the seventh and the tieing run on second base, South Panola shortstop Noah Willis knocked down na infield single by Josh Smith.
Willis alertly  fired a strike to third where courtsey runner Nick Ratliff  was caught in a run down and ultimately tagged out at home. Smith was then picked off at second for the final out.
South Panola improved to 8-12 and 5-3 in district play while Tupelo, who had already claimed the district championship, fell to 7-1 and 15-8 overall. The Tigers played Hernando last night for the runner-up spot.
Blaine Ware gave South Panola an early 1-0 lead in the first with a two-out single. The Tigers extended them margin to 3-0 in the third before Tupelo plated two runs in the sixth.
Anderson Wilder earned the pitching win by going 5.2 innings while striking out a season-high eight batters on four hits. Ware came in on relief in the sixth and fanned the only batter he faced.
Nate Herron tossed the final inning to record the save.
South Panola peppered Tupelo pitching to the tune of eight hits as Herron lead the way with two singles and a run scored. Bowen Willams, Willis and Tripp Still registered doubles while Brayden Locke, Dalton Barefoot and Ware added singles.
South Panola ends the regular season today as they visit Houston to face the Hilltoppers at 11 a.m followed by New Hope in a 2:30 contest.