By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HATTIESBURG — Resurrection’s reign atop Region 8-1A came to an end with a sudden thump Friday night.

The Eagles, in a fight to defend the league crown they had won for eight straight years, watched all of that history wash down the drain and into the streets of this Hub City as Sacred Heart rallied back from a 6-1 deficit in the fifth frame for an 11-10 win.

The decision leaves the Crusaders and Enterprise-Lincoln both at 8-2 in the region race as both of those teams have finished up league play, but Sacred Heart earns the top seed due to a tie-breaker. It marks the first region title for the Crusaders in nine years, mainly due to Resurrection’s recent dominance.

The Eagles, whose grasp of the title ends in new head coach Ryan Jordan’s first season back at RCS, will finish third in the region race no matter what happens Tuesday on the road against East Marion in their regular season finale. Resurrection will also not have home-field advantage in the opening round of the Class 1A South State playoffs for the first time in nine years also, since 2016.

The Eagles eight year reign atop the region started the next year, in 2017. The Eagles are now 5-4 in league play as they head to Columbia Tuesday night before starting the state playoffs on Friday.

Even after erasing that 6-1 deficit with six runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth, Sacred Heat still found itself trailing 10-8 entering its final at bat of regulation.

The Crusaders ended the proceedings when James Phillips was hit by a pitch with one out and the bases-loaded to force in the third run of the frame. The other two runs scored on a balk with the sacks full and a wild pitch.

Sacred Heart scored three runs on just one hit in the final at bat sending seven batters to the plate.

Wyatt Schnoor took the pitching loss for RCS with just one inning of work, walking five, hitting Phillips and committing a balk.

Andrew Harbin had three hits and drove in three runs for RCS, which were game-high totals in both categories. He also started on the hill and worked into the sixth stanza before giving way to Schnoor. Joseph Foster added two hits and two RBIs as well.

Brad Marrero and Kyron Murphy each had two hits, including a double apiece, and both drove in a run apiece to lead SHHS at the plate.

Foxx Reid, the third of three Crusader pitchers, took the win.

Sacred Heat beat Resurrection on Tuesday 14-1 in game one of the series.