Summer Tiger team takes 3-1 win over Grenada

By Brad Greer
The South Panola baseball team opened its Summer league season with a 3-1 victory over Grenada at home Tuesday in the first day of the State Games of Mississippi North Division tournament.
The Tigers made the most of their three hits with a three-run second inning that propelled them to the win. The contest was halted after five innings due to the one-hour, 45-minute time limit.
Braydyn Lee singled to get the South Panola rally started after Grenada grabbed a 1-0 advantage in the top half of the frame. Anderson Wilder drew a walk before Brayden Locke was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs.
Dawson Griffin followed with a bloop single into center that scored courtesy runner Chris Brown.
Nathan Herron came up with the key hit two batters later as the senior shortstop drilled a single through the left side of the infield to bring home Wilder and Locke for a 3-1 Tiger lead.
That proved to be plenty enough offense for South Panola starting pitcher  Wilder who gave up three hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 3.2 innings.
Bowen Williams earned the save by tossing the final 1.1 innings in relief. The rising sophomore fanned two and issued one free pass while facing seven batters.
Williams recorded back-to-back strikeouts to escape a second and third one-out jam in the fourth then retired Dillon Hendricks on a ground ball with the bases loaded in the fifth to end the game.
The Tigers found themselves on different sides of the spectrum on day two of the tournament Wednesday as they split a doubleheader with Lake Cormorant and Olive Branch.
South Panola used a nine-run second inning to dispose of Lake Cormorant 11-6 in the opening game. Hunter Hudson drove in three runs with a two-run single and a bases loaded walk in the second.
The Tigers collected six hits in the game as Gehrig Griffin and Bowen Williams supplied doubles. Braydyn Lee also drove in a run while registering two singles. Dawson Griffin also garnered an RBI single in the second that saw South Panola twelve batters to the plate. Blaine Ware garnered an RBI ground out in the inning.
Chris Brown got the starting nod on the hill for South Panola and went 2.1 innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on three hits. Brandon Phelps worked 2.2 innings in relief.
In the final game of the night, Olive Branch rallied for three runs in the fifth inning to hand the home team a 7-6 loss.
South Panola spotted the ‘Questors a 4-0 lead in the third before taking advantage of five walks and two hit batters up a five spot in the bottom half of the frame to take a 5-4 lead.
With the one hour 45-minute time limit approaching, Olive Branch regained the lead in the fifth. South Panola scratched across a run in the bottom half of the frame and had the tying run at third with two away only to have a strike out end the game.
Lee doubled while Nathan Herron, Hudson, Dawson Griffin and Brayden  Locke all singled.
Wes Morgan gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits with three walks and one strikeout in four innings on the mound. Dawson Griffin finished the game by pitching the fifth inning.