By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Vancleave faces South Jones in the Class 5A South State championship series that begins Friday night In Ellisville.

The Bulldogs are the top seed from Region 4-5A and the Braves are the top seed from Region 3-5A.The winner of this series moves on to the overall Class 5A state championship series in Pearl in two weeks. Game two is set for Vancleave Saturday night.

The Bulldogs got to this point by nipping longtime arch-rival and two-time defending Class 5A state champion East Central in three games in the South State semifinals last week. 

The home-standing Bulldogs took a 4-1 win in the third and final game of that Class 5A South State semifinal series Monday night. Vancleave is now 25-8 overall.

It marked the sixth meeting of the year between the two longtime arch-rivals, the most ever in a single season in the over fifty year history of the all-time series. Vancleave finished 4-2 against ECHS.

Bulldog starting pitcher Levi Tapp went the distance on the mound scattering five hits and striking out six while walking none in earning the win.

“Levi Tapp was phenomenal on the mound. He pounded the strike zone and competed all night long against a good offensive team,” VHS head coach Justin Edwards said.

“South Jones has an excellent pitching staff,” Edwards added. “Two southern miss commits, both throw in the low 90’s and both ate righties, one junior and one senior.”

The Braves, meanwhile, easily swept Stone in two games to move into this match-up with VHS, taking game one over the Tomcats 6-3 at home Friday night and then seeking the series with an 8-1 road win in Wiggins Saturday afternoon.

In the opener, senior Cole Richardson went the distance striking out 10 and walking just one while scattering six hits in the complete game win.

Richardson picked up the pitching win earlier in the season in an 8-5 win over Brandon also. Brandon is playing Northwest Rankin in the Class 7A South State championship series. He also hurled a complete game 1-0 win over West Jones.

Cambridge McDaniel slapped a two-run homer in game one for the Braves.

In game two, junior Dylan Causey worked six stanzas also striking out 10 and walking two while scattering four hits in earning the win. South Jones stands 27-5 on the season.

“Their bullpen arms are supposed to be good as well,” Edwards concluded. “We gotta be extremely tough and competitive offensively.”

This seres is a match-up of an opening round Class 5A South State playoff match-up from last season when Vancleave eliminated SJHS in three games.