By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — The main host of the Battle at the Beach wrapped up its portion of play in fine fashion in the ninth annual affair Thursday night at home.
Biloxi shutout visiting Southwest Christian High of Fort Worth,Tex., 9-0 in five frames at The Biloxi Sports Complex. The Indians of second-year head coach Hawtin Buchanan moved to a solid 8-4 overall with the win, and finish action in the BATB at 4-1 in five games in one week.

“Overall it was a good week for our guys during the event,” Buchanan said. “We got to see some solid competition and our guys came out with a lot of energy and played hard throughout the entire tournament. With us heading into division play next week we felt this was a really good opportunity to continue to tweak and fine tune the things we needed to in order to make sure we are playing our bst baseball heading into the next five weeks.”

Biloxi wasted no time in making sure it would end play in the event on a high note by jumping out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first frame against the Eagles.
But the Indians weren’t finished, adding three more runs in the second stanza and yet another pair in the third inning to take the eventual winning margin of 9-0 into the top of the fourth frame.
Robbie Hokamp posted a pair of hits including a double to pace BHS at the plate while Connor Lofton recorded a three-run single and Judson Byars cracked a two-run double in the win. Wyatt Pyron also drove in a run for BHS.
Meanwhile, one run of support was all Indians starting pitcher Will Miles needed as he hurled five frames of shutout ball scattering three singles while striking out seven and walking none to pick up the win.

The contest was the third in four days at home for the Indians, and came on the heels of a 2-1 win over Clinton on Tuesday night.
In that one, Will Parker’s RBI-single plated Adam Rugg in the bottom of the sixth to break a 1-1 deadlock and. provide the Indians with the eventual winning run.
Biloxi got strong starting pitching in that win as well, as Logan Fontenelle twirled six stanzas of two hit ball to record the win and striking out six.. Wyatt Pyron came on in the seventh to earn a save.
Fontenelle also impressed at the plate with a game-high two hits including a double. Parker also drove in Biloxi’s other run on a sacrifice fly that scored Fontenelle after his double.
Biloxi’s only loss in the event came on Monday, when visiting Etowah (Ala.) knocked off the Indians 9-4.
The Blue Devils banged out 12 hits in the win off a pair of Indian pitchers in Judson Byars and Shawn Miguel Gollott.

Forrest Wold led BHS with.a pair of hits, while Conner Lofton drove in a pair of runs and Judson Byars had a two-run double as well.

The Indians began the BATB with wins over Long Beach in opening day play at home before scalping neighboring rival D’Iberville 6-3 Saturday nighta t MGM Park.