By STAN CALDWELL/Sports Writer

PETAL — Ocean Springs has employed a next-man-up mentality in baseball, and with some big graduation holes to fill, the Greyhounds needed a relatively unproven player to step forward.

And they may have found at least one of those players in junior left-hander Ryan Lemaire, who handcuffed Purvis in an efficient 4-0 victory in the Petal “Runway Classic” Invitational Tournament at Panther Field.

Coming as it did after a disappointing 8-2 season-opening loss to George County on Monday, it was a welcome sight for head coach Ryne Long.

“It’s a big win,” said Long. “That’s a really, really good team over there. They’re going to make another run for Jackson, which kind of their norm. We played with a little more intensity and emotion, and I was glad to see us come out play a lot better than we did Monday.”

Ocean Springs lost its top three hitters from last season, and two of its top three pitchers, so some relatively unproven players have bigger roles this season.

“We’ve to the next-man-up mentality, and we’re a little banged up right now, with some injuries,” said Long. “We’re really proud of them. They’re not scared; they’ll step in there and make it happen.”

Lemaire certainly answered the call against the Tornadoes (1-1), a perennial powerhouse in Class 4A with aspirations for another state championship after reaching the South State finals as defending state champs in 2024.

The tall lefty worked five shutout innings, allowed just three hits, struck out nine batters and walked two. Two of those hits were back-to-back infield singles to lead off the bottom of the first inning from twin seniors JoJo and Jacob Parker.

JoJo Parker smacked a high bouncing ball up the middle that Hound junior second baseman Lucas Sinopoli was able to knock down but had no play on against the speedy Parker. Jacob Parker followed by beating out a throw from third base.

A passed-ball moved the runners to second and third, and just like that, Lemaire was looking down the barrel of two runs with no outs. And just like that, Lemaire bowed up and struck out the next three batters to get out of the inning.

“I just trusted my defense and made the pitches I had to make,” said Lemaire. “I wasn’t nervous at all. They’re just guys, like any other players.”

Lemaire’s trust was well-placed, as Ocean Springs didn’t panic under pressure. Lemaire made his best pitches with runners on base, and the Greyhounds made two key fielding gems to keep the Tornadoes off the scoreboard.

“They do seem to focus under pressure,” said Long. “We challenge them every day, put them in tough situations in practice and make it tough on them for a reason. Our pitchers have to face our hitters every day in practice, and that make them and our hitters better.”

Ocean Springs got all of hits runs in the top of the third inning, chasing starter JoJo Parker and handing the Purvis ace a rare loss. The Mississippi State signee was 13-1 the past two seasons, including a 5-0 mark in 2024.

“I knew he threw some good velo, so I knew it was going to be heavy on the fastball,” said senior Cannon Hensarling, who is headed for Nicholls State next season. “That’s pretty much what I expected.

“Coach Long told me before that at-bat to hit it back where it came from and I did that.”

Indeed, Hensarling got things going in the third by bouncing a comebacker to the mound off Parker’s glove, and he was able to beat the throw from third base. Senior A.J. Arguello then dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Hensarling to second.

The run came in when senior Jack Jordan went the other way for a double just inside the rightfield line. Jordan scored on another opposite-field hit, a single by junior Adam Clower into the gap in right-centerfield.

Junior A.J. Rossi reached on a walk, then a passed ball moved the runners into scoring position, and both came home on yet another opposite-field double from Sinopoli.

The Greyhounds didn’t get much done against Tornado junior right-hander Kade Lawler, who allowed just two hits in four innings of shutout relief.

But with Lemaire and then freshman right-hander Patterson Gilfoil serving up a mix of fastballs and knee-bending curves, it was more than enough.

The defense helped Lemaire out of a jam in the bottom of the third, as Purvis tried to rally. After two quick outs, Jacob Parker – who is also headed for MSU – drew a four-pitch walk, and senior Drew Swan followed with a single.

A double steal put both runners in scoring position, but on a 3-2 pitch, Lemaire got senior Cannon Turner to ground out to third, with Jordan making a long throw to get Turner by a step for the final out.

“He was unbelievable,” said Long. “He’s always had some pitchability, and we talked earlier today about him coming out and going right at them, and he did that. I’m just so proud of him. He was very, very good, and we really needed that.”

Lemaire’s last pitch of the night quelled a potential rally in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, sophomore Paxton Cooper drew a walk, and with JoJo Parker coming to bat, it prompted a quick visit to the mound from Long.

After Cooper stole second, Lemaire got Parker to foul off a curveball that Jordan was able to field for the second out.

Lemaire’s first pitch to Jacob Parker popped out of the glove of Ocean Springs catcher Jeremy Korn and rolled behind the plate, prompting Cooper to try for third. But Korn recovered quickly and fired a strike to Jordan for the final out of the inning.

“My coach has been teaching me that curveball, and I’ve been working on it for a while now,” said Lemaire. “He just told me to stay focused and let my defense work. I wanted to go back out (for the sixth), but it’s a long season.”

Gilfoil, making his first varsity appearance for the Greyhounds, flirted with trouble in the sixth, when Swan doubled to rightfield and freshman pinch-runner Parker Yawn stole third.

But Gilfoil got two strikeouts to get out of danger, then worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh, on two more strikeouts and a defensive gem by Sinolpoli, who stopped Cooper’s grounder and got the throw to Hensarling for the force, leaving JoJo Parker in the on-deck circle.

Ocean Springs was 18-12 last season, reaching the second round of the Class 7A playoffs. Despite losses to injury and graduation, the Greyhounds figure to be in the playoff mix again this season.

“Our expectation year-in and year-out is to win a state championship, even though the past few years haven’t reflected that” said Hensarling. “But keeping composure, body language is a big thing for us. No matter what happen, just don’t show emotion on the field.”

The Greyhounds will be right back in action on Friday, making their home debut against George County.