By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

OCEAN SPRINGS — Ocean Springs delivered the first blow Tuesday night.

The Greyhounds blanked home-standing Gulfport 2-0 here at Herbert Wilson Park Tuesday night in the first game of a key Region 4-7 series. The win moves OSHS to 15-2 overall, but more importantly puts another notch between the Greyhounds and Admirals in the region race as Ocean Springs leads the league at 7-0 and Gulfport sits at 5-2 in the league and 10-7 overall.

The Greyhounds have won both of the past two Region 4-7A titles since expansion to a seventh classification by the MHSAA several years ago.

Troy University signee Justin San Miguel gave his Greyhounds a lead right off the bat that they would never relinquish with an RBI-single in the top of the first frame to make it 1-0.

Gulfport was quite the kind host on the evening, committing four errors, and those miscues gave the visitors their second run two innings later.

After two straight GHS fielding errors in the third frame, Maddox Russell’s run-scoring sacrifice fly ended the scoring at 2-0.

And that’s because OSHS starting pitcher Johan Baez and two Greyhound relievers combined on a two-hit shutout to whitewash the Admirals. Baez, a transfer from Pascagoula, worked the first five frames and allowed two singles while striking out seven to earn the win. Peyton Meleady followed with a scoreless sixth and then Colton French picked up a save with a perfect seventh stanza.

Both San Miguel and Easton Bahr posted two hits apiece to combine for the entire total of hits by OSHS in the game.

Thomas Stennis started a went just over five innings for Gulfport and took the loss.

The two teams face off again Friday night in Ocean Springs before reconvening again in Gulfport Saturday afternoon.