By Maurice Singleton/Sports Writer

LUCEDALE — Pearl River Central rallied for five runs in the first inning, and the Blue Devils clinched the Class 6A South State Championship with an 8-4 road win over George County on Friday night.

The Blue Devils (30-7) rode momentum from a 10-2 win over the Red Rebels on Thursday in Carriere after starting the series with a 3-2 loss in Lucedale on Tuesday. The Blue Devils will play defending Class 6A state champ Saltillo for the crown next week in Pearl.

“It’s a constant belief in each other and in ourselves,” said Blue Devils second year heaf coach Buddy Turnage. “We know George County has a great team. We’ve got to come right through them to get the win. We just knew to keep putting it in play, get down the line as quick as we can, quality at bats, and do it for each other.

“We have a motto; we call it ‘The grass is blue,” said Turnage. “We believe in each other. We believe in the impossible. And tonight we did that.”

The Blue Devils first two base runners got on base on an error and a walk. Then Blake Gill singled to left field to drive in the first run. Eric Mavor got on to load the bases on a base on balls. Talon Cipriano drove a fly ball to right field for the first out to drive in the second run.

Landyn Wilson would send a grounder to shortstop, but the throw to first missed its target for the second error and two runs would score. Luke Herring would send his second pitch to right field for a double to drive in the last run of the inning to give the Blue Devils a 5-0 lead.

The Blue Devils would add another run in the second inning and one in the third inning to go up 7-0.

The Rebels (24-11) would rally in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring three runs and bringing the tying run to the plate with two outs, but that was as close as they would get as they would leave base runners at second and third to close the inning.

“Pearl River, what a great team,” said veteran George County head coach Brandon Davis. “Offensively, they do some things really really well. Those top three hitters in their lineup are phenomenal, and those other guys know how to get on base.

“We made a couple of errors and gave up too many hits in the first to overcome that, that emotion in the first inning,” said Davis. “We always try to control that, but we were unable tonight.”

Sophomore Cole Bounds earned the win for the Blue Devils, going four and a third innings, giving up three hits on the night. Graham Kirby would close the game on the mound for the Blue Devils.

Starter Chandler Cameron took the loss for the home team. He lasted just two innings.

Cayler Havard had a game-high three hits fo the Rebels.