By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

LONG BEACH — After getting off to a slow start in Region 4-6A play a week ago, Long Beach responded in fine fashion to take the series from Hancock.

Now, the task becomes a bit more daunting for the Bearcats in week two of the region race.

Long Beach hosts defending Class 6A state champion George County Tuesday night to open a three game series. The Rebels swept West Harrison last week in the league-opening series for both squads.

Meanwhile, after dropping their first game to Hancock last week 14-4 in just five frames, the Bearcats bounced back to win the final two games of the affair to clinch the series including a 6-4 win on the road Saturday afternoon.

In the rubber match, LBHS erupted for six runs in the top of the third and made that half-dozen set stand up to seal the deal.

Landen Moreaux’s three-run double was the key blow in the decisive rally, while Wayne Ulrich added a two-run single to the winning attack. Dax Arkin had a run-scoring single.

Walker Cooke worked six stanzas allowing all four Hawk runs to earn the win on the hill, and Tobias Cuevas tossed a scoreless seventh to earn a save.

Brandon Arcement tallied a game-high three hits for Hancock and he drove in a run , as the Hawks out-hit LBHS 10-6 in the loss. James Stieler had two hits and an RBI, while Jaxson Knight had a two-run double and Coleton Hopgood added a run-scoring double as well.

Chace Brown, one of three Hancock hurlers, took the loss.

On Friday night in game two, Long Beach turned the tide in the series and evened things up with a close 5-4 win.

Tobias Cuevas belted a huge three-run home run for the Bearcats in the second stanza to put LBHS up 5-1 at that point. Will Brady added a double for LBHS, while both Arkin and Ulrich each drove in a run with a single.

Ulrich threw the first five frames to pick up the win. Caden Ahrens finished up to earn a save.

Roston Ragan collected a game-high three hits and drove in a pair of runs for Hancock.

Arcement took the loss, allowing all five Bearcat runs.

Hancock faces Pascagoula in a three game affair this week. The Panthers, like the Hawks, are also off to a 1-2 start in the region race.