By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

A surprising leader has emerged early in Region 4-5A.
Stone High is 4-0 in the region race after nine days of play into league action. The Tomcats went to Hurley and handed two-time defending Class 5A state champion East Central its third straight region loss with a 13-2 decision in just five frames Tuesday night.
Stone jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with a single run in the top of the first inning on an RBI-single by Braxton Jones, before breaking the game open in the top of the second stanza with four more runs to make it 5-0.
J.J. Galloway’s big two-run double was the key blow in the frame for the Tomcats.
Willie Breland made the count 7-0 with a two-run single in the third inning. And then Anderson Hickman ended any Hornet hopes of a valiant comeback when he smashed a grand slam over the center field fence in the fourth frame and the fans headed for the exits soon after.

Hickman and Breland formed a formidable offense duo for Stone in the winning effort, as Hickman had three hits including a double and that homer and he drove in a game-high six runs while Breland posted a game-high four hits and drove in two. Daylon Collins chipped in a trio of hits to the 13-hit winning attack as well.
Anthony Tanner cracked a solo home run for East Central as the Hornets managed only three hits in the loss, dropping to 1-3 in the region race.
Hickman also picked up the pitching win on the mound with four frames of work.
Porter Martin, one of four Hornet hurlers, took the loss.
Both teams were slated to meet again Thursday night in Wiggins.

Elsewhere in Region 4-5A play this week, Vancleave and Gautier’s three game series was delayed by a day and changed venues before getting started. The Bulldogs ended up hosting the Gators in game one of the affair Wednesday night and pulled out an exciting 8-7 win.

It marked the third straight league win for VHS.
Hunter Harper provided the decisive hit for Vancleave when he sliced a two-out, two-run triple to right field to give the Bulldogs the final 8-7 decision.
Gautier entered the bottom of the sixth with a 7-5 advantage, but Asher Henley’s RBI-single cut the deficit to one run at 7-6 setting up Harper’s heroics.

Marin Shaw posted a game-high three hit outing to pace the Bulldogs to the win, and he like Harper also drove in a pair of runs. Harper chipped in a pair of hits to the winning effort, including that key two bagger in the sixth. Layton Eder also had a pair of hits for VHS.
Harper also started on the hill and worked four frames before giving way to Tony Craven, who threw three innings to finish up the contest and earn the win.
Gregory Johnson took the loss for Gautier. Both Christopher Nelson and Enrique Flores each collected a pair of hits for the Gators, while Frederick Nicholson and Sebastian Gonzalez each registered a double. Gonzalez also drove in two runs for GHS.
Both teams are set to meet again Thursday night in Gautier.
Vancleave sits in second place in the region race behind Stone after the win, as the Bulldogs move to 3-1 in the loop and slip past the Gators in the standings who are 2-1.