By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

It hasn’t taken long for the top three teams in Region 4-6A to float to the forefront of the league standings.
In fact, it took just two weeks.
Picayune, George County and Hancock all have risen above the other trio of league foes in the region race. The Maroon Tide sits in the top spot at a perfect 6-0 after completing a three game sweep of West Harrison on Saturday. The Rebels and Hawks both sit at 5-1 in league play, after George County completed a sweep of Long Beach on Saturday and Hancock took two of three from Pascagoula.

On Saturday in the Kiln, the Panthers pulled out the final game of the series with a close 3-2 win over the home-standing Hawks to hand Hancock its first loss in the region race.
In what was almost a must win situation for first-year Pascagoula head coach Colton Caver and his Panthers after beginning league play with five straight losses, the visitors jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead after two innings in the finale. Griffin Wells posted a run-scoring double just two at bats in to the game, and Denzel Melendez followed that with a run-scoring single to make it 2-0.
The Panthers added to their lead in their next at bat when Matt Dittsworth drove in a run on an RBI-ground out.
While that would end Pascagoula’s scoring on the day, that was all Wells would need to make it stick as he hurled a complete game on the hill to earn the win. He scattered six hits and struck out four while walking three.
Melendez had two hits to pace the Panthers at the plate.

Hancock got a double from Jude Ulrich in the loss, while both he and Jeffery Hopgood had two hits apiece for the Hawks. Hopgood also drove in a run with an RBI-single.
Chace Brown started and took the loss for HHS.
The teams were coming off of a big 14-5 road win for Hancock in Pascagoula on Thursday night.
Landon Shields had a game-high three hits to pace the Hawks at the plate, while he also registered a game-high three RBIs. Hopgood also had a co-game-high three hits for Hancock, and Ulrich drove in two runs in the winning effort. Jaxson Knight had a double for HHS.

Brandon Arcement started and took the win for the Hawks on the hill.
Rashard Earnest, one of five Panther pitchers on the night, took the loss.
Wells, Tank Bishop and Braden Smith all had a double apiece for the Panthers at the plate, and Smith led PHS with two hits and an RBI in the loss.
Hancock is set to face West Harrison in a three game region series this week, while Pascagoula does the same with Long Beach.
The Panthers and Hurricanes are both 1-5 in the region race and knotted up for that all-important fourth and final seed. Long Beach is winless at 0-6 and sits 0-15 overall.