By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

TAYLORSVILLE — Resurrection’s reign atop Class 1A on the baseball diamond in the state of Mississippi is over. 

Home-standing Taylorsville toppled the Eagles 8-0 in the third and final game of their Class 1A South State Championship series Tuesday night, ending the season for RCS one step short of its fourth consecutive trip to the overall state championship series. Resurrection is the two-time and back-to-back Class 1A state champion, but either Taylorsville or Pine Grove will assume that throne in the next week or so.

Resurrection finished the season 27-8.

‘I knew it would be a tough series, Taylorsville has a good team.” RCS second-year head coach Aron Frederic said. “Give them credit.”

The loss ends the most successful run by any athletic program in school history. The Eagles also played for the Class 1A state championship in 2021 before winning the past two. Resurrection was aiming for its fourth straight Class 1A South State title.

“It’s been a tremendous three-year run as South State champs,” Frederic continued. “Playing for three straight 1A State championships and winning two, there are not many that can say they’ve done that. It’s a testament to our players and coaches for their commitment to the program. Coach (Johnny) Olsen set the expectations and put all of it together. I tried to carry that on.”

The Tartars weren’t impressed with the past on Tuesday night. After winning a close affair in game one on Friday night 2-1 at home and dropping game two in Pascagoula by the same 8-0 score on Saturday, Taylorsville seemed determined to end Resurrection’s run, and that it did in convincing fashion.

The Tartars ended any suspense early, with two runs in the bottom of the first and four more in the second stanza to take a quick and commanding 6-0 advantage early on.

And even though the home team wasn’t finished offensively, those six early runs would be all Tartar starting pitcher Trey Barnes would need. He hurled six strong, shutout stanzas scattering just three hits and striking out four to pick up the win on the mound. 

Hayden Porter got the only extra base hit of the game for the Eagles with a double in the top of the sixth.

But by that point, RCS trailed 8-0 and the die had been cast.

Luke Schnoor started for RCS and managed to just get through one inning to take the loss. Things got no better for Carter McCammon over the next four frames.