By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

ST. MARTIN — Visiting Vancleave picked up a pair of wins on the road over the past two days to remain perfect on the new prep baseball campaign.

The Bulldogs have opened defense of their Class 5A state title that they captured last season with a 4-0 record, including a 7-3 win over St. Martin on Friday.

Vancleave, under the direction of new head coach Zac Haralla, wasted no time in jumping out to a quick and commanding 6-1 lead after just two innings an never looked back in earning the win.

Jaxon Albert’s two-run single was the big blow in a four run first frame for VHS, while Tony Craven also drove in a run on an RBI-sacrifice fly and a run also scored on a ground ball off th bat of Wyatt Adams that the Yellow Jackets misplayed into an error.

Max Bates added a run-scoring single for the Bulldogs in the second stanza, and a run also scored when Craven grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and no out.

St. Martin sandwiched a run in between those Bulldog at bats when Warren Jalanavich walked to lead off the bottom of the first and later came around to score on a passed ball.

The Yellow Jackets got an RBI-sacrifice fly from Gavin Nitcavic in the bottom of the fourth and then added their final run on a run-scoring ground out off the bat of Dax Coggin to make it 6-3 in the bottom of the sixth stanza.

Adian Tapp’s run-scoring sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh ended the scoring for VHS.

Bates had a game-high three singles to lead VHS at the plate, while Kyle Capers and Tapp each added two hits apiece to the winning effort for the Bulldogs.

A quartet of Vancleave pitchers limited the Yellow Jackets to just three three singles from three different batters in the game. Dane McElrpy, the starter, picked up the win.

Groue started and took the loss for SMHS.

On Saturday, Vancleave traveled to Brooklyn and slipped past Forrest County AHS 4-3.

Albert had two hits and drove in two runs in that win, while Martin Shaw had two hits and one RBI and Capers also drove in a run.

Carter Doze picked up the pitching win.