By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — The annual battle for the “Tomahawk Cup” between old neighboring rivals Biloxi and D’Iberville is this week’s “Sonic Big Game of the Week” in the “Southern Six” as sponsored by Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi.

The pair of longtime foes will face off Friday night around 7:30 p.m., at Keesler Federal Park in second day action of the prestigious “Battle at the Beach”.

Both teams were coming off wins heading into the Indians’ Thursday night game against visiting Pass Christian at Biloxi High. Biloxi hosts the Pirates in opening day play of the annual BATB before shifting the setting to the home of the Biloxi Shuckers on Friday to face the Warriors.

Actually, D’Iberville’s last game was a win over Pass Christian earlier in the week.

The Warriors started slow but finished fast against the home-standing Pirates in a prep baseball Lundi Gras matinee match-up Monday afternoon.

The visiting Warriors overcame a slight 2-1 deficit with a two run-sixth stanza, and then delivered the knock out punch with a six spot in the seventh for an 8-2 win over the Pirates.

D’Iberville moved to 4-5 overall with the win, while PCHS heads into Thursday night’s game with Biloxi at 1-8.

Five DHS hurlers combine for a one-hitter in picking up the win. Ayden Toncrey, the fourth of the five DHS pitchers to see action, picked up the win with almost three frames of solid work striking out three and walking none while allowing no hits in the process.

Ayden Demoran, Wilson, Naron and Kaden Allen also saw some time on the hill for the Warriors in the win.

In a game that had way too many pitching changes, Pass also utilized five pitchers in the contest with Kayleb Munsch taking the loss.

Jaxon Harris had two hits to pace DHS offensively.

“Battle at the Beach is always a really fun event for all of South Mississippi,” Biloxi head coach Hawstin Buchanan said on Monday. “There’s always a ton of talent and really good teams that come down so it makes for some of the best baseball in the country being played right down here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during these next couple of weeks.”

On Saturday, Biloxi exploded for eight runs in the top of the fifth frame and four more in the sixth stanza, overcoming a 7-4 deficit in the process and coasting to a 16-7 win over home-standing Vancleave.

Biloxi banged out 12 hits in the winning attack, as Tristain Haynes, Will Parker, Adam Rugg, and Lleyton Gunter led the way. Connor Lofton also had an RBI-single as did Jackson Irvin.

Tyler Pope, the middle of three Indian hurlers, picked up the pitching win. Biloxi now stands 2-4 overall on the young season going into Thursday night’s game against PCHS.

Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi has long been a staunch supporter of prep sports in the “Southern Six” and all across the Southeast. There are several Sonic locations in Biloxi for all of your pre-game and post-game meal needs Friday with stops at 927 Cedar Lake Rd., and 2415 Pass Road.