By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — After two rounds, and two outcomes from the visiting team by the same exact score, the annual battle between longtime arch-rivals Gulfport and Biloxi is knotted up at a game apiece.

The Admirals rallied for three runs with two outs on the road in the top of the seventh stanza Thursday night to nip the Indians 5-4 at The Biloxi High Sports Complex.

The win comes on the heels of Tuesday’s opening contest in the three game Region 4-7A affair when Biloxi scored a run in the top of the eighth frame to slip past the home-standing Admirals 5-4 as well. The third and final game of the series is set for Friday night back at Herbert Wilson Field.

In game two, Biloxi led 4-2 and seemed to be on the verge of clinching the series needing just one more out before Admiral Mason Little cracked a two-run double to tie things up at 4-4. Damion Burch followed that two batters later with an RBI-single that scored Little with what proved to be the winning run.

“I was really proud of the fact that we found a way to win,” acting GHS head coach Kelly Weems said, as his Admirals moved to 4-1 in the region race and 12-5 overall, said. “We kinda fell flat in the middle innings, but we know we’re never out it. We just wanted to string some at bats together and give ourselves a chance. I had full faith that when we got it back to Mason Little he was going to put together a good at bat.”

After the decisive rally, Gulfport closer Thomas Stennis came on to relieve starter Taveion Collier and he earned a save with a scoreless and hit-less final frame.

Collier worked six solid stanzas, allowing five hits and striking out five in the process while walking just one.

“Collier kept us in it and gave us a chance to win like he has all year,” Weems added. “And Thomas Stennis once again proved that he’s one of the best closers around.”

Gulfport took an early 2-1 lead on an RBI-double by Little and a run-scoring single from James Van Slyke in the top of the third.

But Biloxi bounced back quickly, cutting the deficit in half at 2-1 in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-single by Adam Rugg.

The Indians then took that aforementioned 4-2 advantage with a three spot in the fourth as Gage Dalferes tied thing up with an RBI-single, Wyatt Pyron made it 3-2 with a run-scoring single and BHS took the 4-2 lead when Collier plunked Connor Lofton with a pith with the bases loaded.

That action set up the climactic late game ending.

Shawn Miguel Gollot started for BHS and worked into the seventh before Brody Nyguen relieved him and took the loss.

Little stood tall at the plate, with game-high totals in both his and RBIs with three apiece thanks to the pair of run-producing doubles. Van Slyke added two hits to the game-winning nine-hit attack.

Rugg and Dalferes each had two hits apiece for BHS, which falls to 1-4 in the region race and 7-9 overall.