By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

BILOXI — Both Biloxi and St. Martin are fighting to stay alive in the race for a Class 7A South State playoff berth as the two teams face off twice within an 18-hour span this weekend.

And that’s what makes Friday’s game at The Biloxi High School Sports Complex the “Sonic Big Game of the Week” in the “Southern Six” as sponsored by Sonic Drive In of South Mississippi.

The two teams are coming off a 4-3 come-from-behind win by the home-standing Yellow Jackets in game one of the three game set Tuesday. The win moved St. Martin into a three-way tie in the Region 4-7A standings with the Indians and Harrison Central all at 3-7 with five games left in region play and in the regular season.

These three teams, along with D’Iberville which sits at 4-6 in the league standings, are all battling for the final two spots in the upcoming state playoffs behind league-leading Ocean Springs (9-1) and Gulfport (8-2).

With Biloxi leading 3-2 entering the bottom of the fifth frame Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets pushed across a pair of runs to pull out the important win.

Will Roebuck tied the game up at 3-3 with a run-scoring sacrifice fly. Then, with the bases-loaded and two outs, Sean Stigletts hit a ground ball to short that was mis-played into a fielding error by the Indians resulting in the decisive run.

Noah Jenner had two hits and Roebuck drove in two runs for SMHS in the win.

A quartet of Yellow Jacket hurlers combined to limit the Indians to just four hits in the outing. Johnathan Baughman, the third pitcher up, took the win with one inning of work while Rivers Groue earned a save with two frames on the hill.

Wyatt Pyron took the tough-luck loss for BHS.

The teams will meet in Biloxi Friday night and then close out the series back in St. Martin Saturday afternoon.

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.