French Camp will begin the MHSAA playoffs with a home game at 6 p.m. Thursday against the third-place team from Region 8-1A, probably Sacred Heart. The second game will be on the road Friday at Sacred Heart in Hattiesburg or Lumberton, with the third game, if necessary, at French Camp Saturday.
The Panthers concluded the regular season last week with wins over Vardaman 7-1 and Noxapater 16-4 and a 10-0 loss to East Webster.
Cody Perry had a big game against Vardaman. He pitched a three hitter with 10 strikeouts and had three hits, three RBIs and scored twice.
The Panthers' 12-hit attack also included three hits by Avery Summers, two doubles by Ethan Wright and a single and double by Macon Bentley.
French Camp had 17 hits and scored in every inning against Noxapater in the final Region 5-1A game of the season.
Wright had a game for the ages with five hits, including two doubles and a home run. He drove in five runs and scored three times and was the winning pitcher, allowing five hits and one earned run, with five strikeouts.
“Five for five. That doesn’t happen every night,” said coach Nathan Wright. “He’s really tearing it up right now.”
Bentley was four for four, with three singles, a double and a walk. He drove in one run and scored four. Perry had two hits, two RBIs and scored three runs, Ethan Chesser and single and double and Summers doubled.
The Panthers were seven for seven on stolen base attempts, three by Wright, two by Bentley and one each by Logan Perkins and Kason Rainey.
East Webster pitcher Cade Morrow held the Panthers to one hit. The Wolverines closed out the game with six runs in the fifth.
French Camp was second behind Ethel in 5-1A. Sacred Heart or Lumberton will finish third in 8-1A.
Wright, Perry and Bentley have been the Panthers’ most effective pitchers and they will be the starters in the playoff, but coach Wright said he is not sure who it will be in the opening game.
“We’re in deep thought about it. I told the guys to think about it. I’m going to put it on them.”
He added “We have to figure out a couple of others to come in and help. It looks like Ethan Chesser will be able to help. I’m not sure after that.”
Agnew Walks Off as the Eagles defeat Starkville Christian
By Cooper Sanders
The Eagles Earned a pair of wins this past week with wins over Victory Christian and Starkville Christian. Courtesy of a strong night at the plate for Asher Hogue, the Eagles beat Victory 14-3. Hogue had three hits while driving in four runs. Wes Agnew was on the mound this game, allowing no hits and no runs through two and two-thirds innings. Agnew struck out six and only walked one batter. The Eagles had a total of nine hits, with Hogue, Grayson Skelton, and Jameson Agnew each racked up multiple. The Eagles also tore up the bases, as six players had multiple stolen bases, as Bonner Brownlee stole five. The Eagles would then play Starkville Christian later in the week and won in walk off fashion. With a 1-0 count in the bottom of the seventh, Wes Agnew, who was 3-4 at the plate, singled to bring in a run, securing the 3-2 win. Pitching was strong for the Eagles, as they combined for 14 strikeouts. The Eagles totalled eight hits. Wes Agnew and Skelton each hit the ball multiple times. Skelton stole three bases, as the Eagles totalled nine steals.
