By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

PEARL — Tyler West continued his masterfulness on the mound Friday night.

And in doing so, the senior Vancleave pitcher kept the season alive for the Bulldogs.

West won his 10th straight game, and fourth consecutive in the state playoffs, as he twirled a complete game gem here at Trustmark Park as Vancleave slipped past Lafayette 2-1 in game two of the Class 5A state championship series.

The win evens the best-of-three affair up at one game a piece, and sets up a winner take all rubber match Saturday night back at the home of the Class AA Mississippi Braves Saturday night at 7 p.m.

“Our starting pitching has been the backbone for us all season, especially throughout this playoff run.” sixth-year Vancleave head coach Justin Edwards said. “Tyler was unbelivable tonight, a fantastic outing.”

West got all of the support he would need from his teammates before he even stepped on the hill as the Bulldogs broke on top 2-0 in the top of the first frame.

Asher Henley singled to lead off the game Hunter Parker followed with a double that put runners at second and third. After an out, Hunter Harper’s run-scoring sacrifice fly plated Henley to give Vancleave a lead it would never relinquish at 1-0 and Layton Eder followed that with an RBI-double that scored Parker and it was 2-0.

And then the Bulldogs turned it over to West. He allowed only an RBI-single to Foster Crockett with two outs in the bottom of the second in cruising to the win.

West stands 11-2 on the mound this year.

Vancleave managed just four hits in the win, but they were timely as Parker and Eder connected on a double apiece.

Lafayette pitcher Tanner Harris probably deserved a better fate, as he also went the distance allowing just those four hits and the issues in the first frame.

Both teams are looking for their second state championship on the baseball diamond, after Vancleave won the Class 4A title in 2018 and Lafayette won the Class 4A crown in 2006.

The commodores took game one on Wednesday night 8-7 in a marathon 12 inning affair when Lafayette’s Balin Bishop drove home the game-winning run in the top of the 12th inning.

It marked the first ever loss in program history for the Bulldog baseball team in the state finals, after they swept New hope in two games six years ago.