By Maurice Singleton/Sports Writer

GULFPORT — The Gulfport Admirals rallied behind strong pitching and capitalized on an outfielder’s error and pitching mistakes to get a 2-1 win over Oak Grove in the first round of the 7A playoffs on Friday night.

Nico Williams led the Admirals pitching attack, giving up only two hits while striking out eleven batters in five and a third innings. After walking the first three batters he faced, he settled down and struck out the next two batters. Oak Grove’s only run would come with two outs in the inning on a wild pitch as the runner from third stole home.

Over the rest of his time on the mound, he would strike out nine more batters.

“That was a hard-fought game,” said Admirals’ coach Jamie McMahon. “Both guys on the mound; our guy was good and their guy was good. 

“He’s a fiery dude,” McMahon said of Williams. “I think just a little too much adrenaline there in the first. Once he settled in, he was really good for the rest of the night. You’ve got to give him credit getting out of that jam early with just one run.”

The Admirals managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning as lead-off batter Ethan Garner who got hit by a pitch, advanced to third base and scored on a pitch that got away from the catcher.

Williams tallied his final strike out of the night on the first batter in the top of the sixth inning. The next batter singled. He would throw two balls to the next batter, and at that point, McMahon would call for his closer, sophomore Thomas Stennis, a sidewinder.

Stennis would strike out five of the six batters he faced the rest of the way to set up a dramatic finish in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Junior Eli Wheat would relieve starter Maddox Miller on the mound for the Warriors in the bottom of the seventh. He would find a great deal of pressure when Prince Cottonham sent one deep into right field. His right fielder seemed to have it in his glove, but he dropped it and Cottonham beat the throw to second base. He then walked Ethan Surowiec, putting runners on first and second bases. He then walked Williams to load the bases.

And with one out, and the bases loaded, Davis Ormes sailed the first pitch deep to right field. This time the right fielder made the catch, but that wasn’t enough as Cottonham scored the winning run to close out game one.

The Admirals (18-11) travel to Oak Grove (18-9) on Saturday for game two of the series. If necessary, game three is scheduled for Monday in Gulfport.