By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — For the first time all week, Biloxi took a lead over Ocean Springs Saturday afternoon in the finale of the three game Region 4-7A opening series.
But, in the end, the final result was the same as it was in the first two games.
The home-standing Greyhounds bit back from an early but brief two run deficit to sweep the Indians 6-4 in league play at “The Tom”. Ocean Springs and first-year head coach Ryne Long couldn’t have asked for a better way to begin region action, after also beating Biloxi on 4-1 on Tuesday and 3-0 Thursday.
“That was a big win,” Long said, after the game. “They come out and jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first and we didn’t panic. We strung together some good at bats and made it 3-2 in the bottom half, and got a clutch two out bases clearing double by Maddox Moreland in the second inning. After that it was a battle.”

As Long said, the visiting Indians took that quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first on an RBI-ground out by Connor Lofton and a ground ball from Will Parker that the Greyhounds misplayed into an error.
But, Ocean Springs turned the tide back in its favor with a trio of runs in its first at bat. The Greyhounds got RBI-singles in three consecutive at bats from Maddox Moreland, Cannon Hensarling and Grant Russell to take the lead at 3-2.
Then, after holding Biloxi scoreless in the top of the second, Adam “Dale” Clower walked while Jack Jordan and Simon Kruppa singled around two outs to load the bases in the bottom of the stanza. Moreland then came through with that clutch hit Long spoke of as he tripled on a line drive to right field that cleared the sacks and doubled up the Ocean Springs run total at 6-2.
The Indians mounted a bit of a comeback in the fourth frame, scoring a pair of runs on a run-scoring single by Tristan Haynes and a bases-loaded walk from Judson Byars to cut the deficit in half at 6-4.

But, Greyhound starting pitcher Hensarling struck out one of the final few Biloxi batters he would face on the day to escape the bases loaded jam and preserve the lead for the Greyhounds.
From that point on, a pair of OSHS relievers in Ryan Lemaire and Griffin Frye kept Biloxi at bay over the final three frames to seal the win.
“Cannon is still getting in the swing of things on the mound,” Long added. “He didn’t have his best stuff but he battled and gave us a chance to win while not being at his best which is a testament to his toughness. Lemaire was really good in the fifth, and he and Frye pitched really well those last three innings.”
Hensarling earned the win with those four official frames of work, allowing four hits while walking five and striking out four. Lemaire and Frye combined to strike out five batters while giving up just a single as Lemaire got credit for a hold and Frye picked up the save.

Jordan, Moreland and Clower each registered a pair of hits apiece in the winning 10-hit attack for the Greyhounds, with Moreland and Jordan collecting doubles. Moreland drove in a game-high four runs, capping off a big week at the plate for him and he also smacked a key three-run home run in the 4-1 OSHS win on Tuesday giving him seven RBIs on the week.
Jordan, who also picked up the pitching win in that opening game of the series, had a pretty productive series at the plate as well with three doubles in the three games.
“It’s really hard to win three against anybody and especially hard against a team like Biloxi,” Long said. “And Coach (Hawtin) Buchanan had those guys ready to go today. We are fortunate to have gotten some big two out rbi’s which was the difference.”
Jackson Irvin had a pair of doubles to lead Biloxi at the plate in the loss. Shawn Miguel Gollott started on the hill and took the loss with less than three frames of work.

“We’ve taken some shots on the chin the first few weeks, and this group has really went to work.” Long concluded. “We’ve got a good group of kids that don’t mind working, and as tough as things were on them early they keep showing up eager to get better. We’ve had some guys step up and really take on leadership roles, but they know we have to keep our head down and take things day by day as tough as the division is.”
The Greyhounds move to 8-5 overall, and sit tied atop the region race at 3-0 with Gulfport. The Indians drop to 8-7 overall. Biloxi won the Region 8-6A title last year before both teams moved up a level upon expansion to seven classifications for the first time ever by The Mississippi High School Activities Association before the current school year began.