By Stan Caldwell/Sports Writer

HATTIESBURG — Gulfport coach Myles Gentry wasn’t keen on coming back to Oak Grove for a deciding third game in the high school baseball playoffs, but once the Admirals stepped on the field, they acted like they owned the place.

Gulfport savaged four Warrior pitchers, and rode the arm of senior Thomas Stennis to an 11-1, six-inning victory Monday night in the opening round of the Class 7A playoffs at Harry Breland Field to clinch the series.

The Admirals (19-13) advanced to the second round, where they will face Petal. The best-of-three game series opens at Gulfport on Friday, with Game 2 scheduled for Saturday at Petal. Oak Grove finished its season 20-10.

“We were ready to go,” said Gentry. “We had a good day of practice (Sunday), and my guy Stennis was on the mound.

“He’s been our guy all year, and he wanted the ball. He filled it up, gave us a chance, and our two-out hitting was incredible.”

No kidding. Gulfport scored nine of its 11 runs after two were out, using timely hitting and an aggressive approach at the plate.

“That was absolutely the game,” said Gentry. “We got in their bullpen early, we kept our foot on the gas and ended it early.”

Stennis (4-2) allowed just two hits, struck out four, walked three and hit a pair. But once the Admiral bats did their job, Stennis hit cruise control.

“Everything was working for me tonight,” said Stennis, a side-arm throwing right-hander. “The slider was really working on the outside half of the plate. Hitters were swinging over the top and getting me weak ground balls and pop-ups.”

A big moment for Stennis came early. After Warrior senior right-hander Ryne Stevens retired the side in order in the top of the first inning, senior E.J. Booth worked through a lengthy at-bat and smacked a double into left-centerfield.

But Stennis got a pop-up, then Booth was thrown out trying to steal third on a called third strike for a double play. By the time Oak Grove got another base-runner, Gulfport was already up 4-0.

“That was a great at-bat by the leadoff hitter,” Stennis said. “I think he went eight or nine pitches. Just a great at-bat.

“But I came back, got the next guy to pop up, then the strike-‘em-out, throw-‘em-out to end the inning. That was huge.”

Gentry said having Stennis on the mound was a boost for the Admirals on defense, because of the way he works his pitches.

“Guys love playing behind him,” Gentry said. “He works quickly and he fills it up. Guys know he’s going to attack the zone, so they need to be on their feet ready to go.”

The Admirals threatened in the top of the second when senior Brant Rounsaville was hit by pitch leading off, and he went to third on a double down the leftfield line by senior Brodie Hignight.

However, Stevens got three consecutive strikeouts to end that threat and keep the game scoreless.

But the Admirals zeroed in on Stevens the second time through the batting order, and that was when Gulfport started taking command.

After getting one out, sophomore James Van Slyke drew a walk, then eighth-grader Tico Hebert singled and sophomore Mason Little drove in the first run with a single into right-centerfield.

A walk loaded the bases and another run scored on a passed ball. Still, Stevens got a strikeout after a nine-pitch at-bat, then got a 2-2 count on freshman Eli Carter.

But Carter took the next pitch up the middle for the first two-out RBI for the Admirals, driving in two runs for a 4-0 lead.

“My approach was just to get the job done right there,” said Carter, who added a two-run single in the sixth for a four-RBI night. “It was a 2-2 count, so I stepped out and did a little mental exercise; my dad calls them mind gremlins.

“You’ve got to calm your mind, and you’ve got to visualize success. I was, like, ‘I’m getting a hit here. Let’s go. It’s my box.’ So I stepped back in and ripped one up the middle.”

Oak Grove got two runners on in the bottom of the third after two were out on a hit batter and a carefully-pitched walk to Booth, but Stennis got a strikeout to end the inning.

Stevens (0-2) left with two out in the third, after allowing four runs on four hits. He struck out five, walked two and he hit a batter. Three Warrior relievers fared little better.

“It was a bullpen game for us, and I knew Stennis was their best guy,” said Oak Grove coach Chris McCardle. “It was a tough situation for us. (Stennis) has been tough for four years now. He beat us three years ago; same thing.”

Gulfport put the game away with a five-run rally in the top of the fifth, all coming after two were out.

Rounsaville singled, then back-to-back walks and a hit batter produced a run. A bases-loaded walk drove in another run, two more came in on a single by senior Sam Tindell and the final run of the inning came in on a successful double-steal after Tindall was picked off first.

“The run support was outstanding,” said Stennis. “I couldn’t have asked for a better offensive performance tonight. And it was good that when we scored, I went out and put another zero on the board the next inning, So that really helped the momentum on offense.”

Another two-out rally in the sixth gave Gulfport the two runs it needed to put the run-rule into effect.

Rounsaville singled and took third on a single down the leftfield line by Hignight, who went to second on the throw to third from the outfield. Carter then hit a 3-2 pitch into the hole at shortstop and beat the throw to first, allowing the two runners to score.

The Warriors got a two-out walk in the bottom of the sixth, but Stennis ended the game with a groundout.

Gulfport and Petal have played once this season, an 8-1 Panther victory on February 17 at Petal. The Panthers advanced with a two-game sweep of Ocean Springs in the first round.

“It was early, but we learned a lot about ourselves in that game,” said Gentry. “We didn’t play clean defense in that game, and we really didn’t hit the ball very well.

“But I think we’re a different team than we were then, and I think they probably are as well.”