By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LUCEDALE — Last season, as a junior, Ocean Springs ace pitcher Jack Jordan shutout a defending state champion early in the season with a three-hitter.

Monday night, try as he might, Jordan wasn’t quite as successful against yet another team coming off winning a title as a new campaign began.

Home-standing George County smacked the Greyhounds 8-2 at Clause Passeau Field in its first outing since capturing the Class 6A state championship last May.

The Rebels let the visitors know immediately that the night would be a continuation of a celebration from their last game last season, as they jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first frame and were never really threatened.

With one out, Canyon Reeves singled and Tripp Lightsey then reached on an error. Cayler Havard followed and sliced a two-run double to left field to make it 2-0.

George County starter Preston McAdory made that lead stand up through the first three innings with a trio of scoreless stanzas, before his battery mate catcher Blaine Green extended that advantage to 3-0 with a solo home run to lead off the fourth frame.

Jordan worked into the top of the fifth, before allowing a one-out RBI single to Canyon Reeves and then Havard followed that with his second two-run double of the contest to put the home team in complete control and cause Jordan’s departure from the mound.

Carson Pierce accounted for the final two GCHS runs of the night with a run-scoring single in the sixth and then he came around to score on a passed ball.

A..J. Rossi and A.J. Arguello each registered RBI-singles for the Greyhounds.

Havard, Reeves and Brodie Cecchi all had two hits apiece to lead the winning 11-hit Rebel attack on the evening, while Havard’s four RBIs were a game-high.

McAdory produced five strong, scoreless innings on the mound to pick up the pitching win as he struck out eight and walked five in the outing.

Jordan took the loss with a little over four frames of work, allowing six runs and seven hits while walking just one and striking out five.

The two teams meet again Friday night in Ocean Springs. However, the Greyhounds first head to Petal for a date with Purvis Thursday night.