CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

CARRIERE — George County needs to get 12 outs without allowing half that many runs to earn a trip to the Class 6A state baseball championship.

The Rebels lead 7-1 in the third and deciding game of their South state championship series against Pearl River Central entering the bottom of the fourth frame when the game resumes at 6 p.m., Tuesday here at the home of the Blue Devils. George County fell behind quickly 1-0 but immediately responded with a seven spot in the second stanza to take command of the contest.

Rain then arrived and caused first the suspension of play and then finally after about 30 minutes the postponement for a day.

After falling behind by that run in the bottom of the first, the Rebels used six hits, a pair of PRC errors and a balk plus a hit batsman to tally those seven runs and turn things around.

Gage Reeves’ two-run single was the big blow in the rally, while Tripp Lightsey added an RBI-triple and both Ben Davis and Blaine Green chipped in a run-scoring single each.  

George County starting pitcher Carson Pierce, who picked up the win in a similar game three situation against West Jones a week ago, was off his game Monday night and faced just five batters including walking Jacob Johnson with the bases loaded before getting yanked by veteran Rebel mentor Brandon Davis.

Davis summoned Brayden Havard from the bullpen and he quickly. recorded two outs to get out of the jam and then followed that up with three straight scoreless innings of work before the rains came. It marked just the third appearance of the yar on the mound for the sophomore.

Blue Devil starter Conner Dyess, who also picked up the win in game three against arch-rival Picayune in that Class 6A South State semifinal series last week, got through the first frame unscathed Monday night before being at the pi-center or the Rebel eruption in the second inning.

PRC won game one at home Friday night 4-0 before George County captured game two at Claude Passeau Field in Lucedale Saturday 4-3 to set up this rubber match. The series is a rematch of a Class 5A opening-round South State playoff match-up from last season that the Blue Devils swept.

The winner of this game moves on to face Warren Central in the best of three Class 6A state championship series next week at Trustmark Park in Pearl the home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves.

Warren Central, in a bit of a surprise in the north part of the state, knocked off defending Class 6A state champion Saltillo in the North State semifinals before dispatching Center Hill in the North State finals over the weekend.

The Vikings are 21-12 overall and have not only swept their way through six straight playoff games but have won 12 straight games overall as well.

George County has played for the state title three different times in two different classifications over the past decade, but hasn’t been to the state finals since2018. Pearl River Central last played for, and won, the Class 5A state championship in 2017.