By MAURICE SINGLETON/Sports Writer

PETAL – The South scored five runs in the first two innings and then added an insurance run in the fifth. The insurance run proved to be just enough to give the South the 6-5 win in the annual Crossroads Diamond Club Class 7A/6A All-Star game Tuesday night here at Petal High.

The South held a 6-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning after scoring two runs in the first inning, then rallying for three more runs in the second inning before the insurance run in the top of the fifth inning.

Brandon’s Jay McQueen got the South going driving the game’s first pitch of the game to the centerfield wall. With one out, consecutive batters, Tanner Beliveau of Petal and Northwest Rankin’s Brady Saxton, got on base on walks to load the bases.

Picayune’s Cooper Moreaux drove a deep fly to right field, and McQueen scored for the game’s first score. An errant throw from home to third base scored another run to put the South up 2-0 with two outs to close out the first inning scoring for the South.

The South would load the bases again in the second inning as Germantown’s Jackson Estes got on base on a walk. Ocean Spring’s Jack Jordan would move him to second base with a ground ball to third base, which also got him on base with a drop on the throw from the third baseman. Picayune’s Parker Helton would get on with a walk, and the bases were loaded without an out.

George County’s Ben Davis was walked, which scored another run. Then a pitch in the dirt got past the catcher for the second run in the inning. Petal’s Beliveau popped one high into right field which was lost in the bright lights and dropped midway between the first baseman and the right fielder, and another run scored for the South to close out the second inning scoring for a 5-0 lead.

“We were able to jump on them early in the game offensively,” said D’Iberville coach Brent Martin. “Jay McQueen comes out, sitting on a fast ball the first pitch, hits it off right centerfield wall for a standup double there.

“We put up five in those first two innings,” said Martin. “So, they were looking for the fastball and were aggressive early.”

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, the North got going on two hits, first a double, then a single to drive in their first run. The North would score from third base on ball in the dirt that got past the catcher, and they trailed 6-2 after six complete innings.

The South failed to get a base runner in the top of the seventh inning, but their defense appeared primed to close out the game as they recorded a strike out of the first batter. The second batter got on base on a walk, and the third batter flied out to deep center field. The next batter would get on base with a deep ground ball to third base. He was safe at first base on a close call.

With runners on first and second with two outs, Tupelo’s Tyler Johnson would come to the plate, facing Ocean Springs A.J. Arguello on the mound. Arguello would get ahead of him early with a ball and two strikes. But facing a full count, Johnson would nail the next pitch over the center field fence to score three runs, making it a one-run game.

But Arguello would face one more batter, who would ground out to second base and thrown at first to close out the win for the South.

“The guy runs into a pitch there,” said Ocean Springs coach Ryne Long. “I thought we should’ve been out of the inning two or three pitches before. Kid made a good swing and hit it out of the ball park. That’s baseball. It was a fun experience, and I’m glad to experience it with Coach Martin and be around with some of these guys, and being in the same dugout and not having to face them.”