By Robert Wilson
The biggest question was could Presbyterian Christian School bounce back in 24 hours from an emotional loss to Jackson Prep in Game 1 of the MAIS Class 6A state championship series when Prep scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a come-from-behind victory.
PCS left no doubt about that in the first inning Wednesday night in Hattiesburg.
PCS answered the bell like a heavyweight champion dominating the first round of a championship fight by scoring four runs in the first inning and went on to defeat nationally ranked and six-time defending state champion Prep 6-2 – Prep’s worst loss of the season – in Game 2 to even the best of three series before an estimated 1,000 at PCS.
No. 2 seed PCS improved to 23-10 and defeated Prep for the first time in five tries this season. PCS will be trying to win its first state baseball championship in school history.
No. 1 seed Prep – ranked No. 4 in the country – dropped to 38-4 and lost Game 2 for the second time in the past two weeks. MRA defeated Prep in Game 2 last week in the semifinals before Prep won Game 3. Prep will be trying to win its 23rd state baseball title in school history. Prep has not lost a home playoff game since the 2016 season when MRA won its last state title.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Prep’s Patriot Field in Flowood. The probable starters are PCS sophomore right-hander Jet Henderson (an 0-0 record and 4.88 earned run average) or junior left-hander JT Smith (5-2, 4.52 ERA) and Prep sophomore right-hander Kevin Roberts (5-1, 2.36 ERA) – rated the No. 1 player in Mississippi and No. 11 player in the country in the Class of 2026 by Perfect Game.
PCS’ four runs came on one Prep error and four PCS hits (two infield hits), the biggest one a two-run scoring single by catcher Kade Welford with two outs.
PCS then added two more runs in the second inning on third baseman Drew Diamond’s two RBI double to push the lead to 6-0. Only two of the PCS’ six runs were earned.
Roberts, playing right field, hit a two-run home run – his third this season – to score senior shortstop and LSU signee Konnor Griffin, who scored his school and MAIS record 74th run this year, which leads the nation. He is three short of tying the Mississippi record, set by Shaune Holliday of Tishomingo County in 1992. Roberts’ home run cut the PCS lead to 6-2, but Prep couldn’t score any more runs off PCS sophomore ace left-hander Braxton Walters, who came into the game with an 8-2 record and a 2.07 ERA. Walters allowed six hits and pitched all seven innings (83 pitches, 53 strikes).
“I’m really proud of our guys,” said PCS coach Jarrett Hoffpauir, a former Southern Miss star who is in his third season at PCS. “We got some big hits early and Bankston threw incredible. Our defense played great (two double plays in the fifth and sixth innings) as well. We know we have to play a complete game against those guys, and we were able to do that tonight.
“We’ve been in this position before and didn’t have anything to lose at this point. I told them to enjoy the moment and go play baseball.”
“PCS came out ready to play and played really well,” said Prep coach Brent Heavener, who has won a state title every year – except for covid year in 2020 – since he became head coach at Prep. “I tip my hat to Bankston. I thought he came out and pitched really well. We had a couple of plays early that didn’t go our way. That’s part of baseball. When you are on the road, you’ve got to make sure you get off to a good start. We didn’t do that. Now, we have to come out and put it all on the line today. We’ve got to do a better job of being ready to play. We’ve been here before. We know what the situation is. If they are going to put us, they will have to do it at our place. That’s why the No. 1 seed is big. Kevin will be ready to roll. He’s been in this situation before. Let’s go see what happens. Should be a great game.”
Hoffpauir made the decision to hold Walters – the Bobcats’ normal Game 1 starter – until Game 2 this week. His strategy almost paid off with a PCS win in Game 1.
PCS led 2-1 going into the bottom of the seventh, but Prep scored two runs with no outs, the winning run by courtesy runner Nolan Canoy on a wild pitch.
Prep’s first hitter – junior designated hitter Cole Gideon – hit a fly ball to left field and it fell in for a double. Then junior first baseman Matthew “Ham” McKinley hit a single to right field and junior right fielder Gardner Young walked to load the bases. Junior second baseman Christopher Maddux hit a grounder to senior shortstop Turner Vance, who threw home, but Gideon beat the throw to tie the game at 2-2. Prep junior catcher Thomas Cross was the plate when Canoy scored the winning run.
Prep junior left-hander Reid “Spicy” Vineyard was the winning pitcher. He came in relief of Griffin with two outs in the top of the seventh and got a strikeout.
