Yazoo County’s dream baseball season came to a close after falling to South Pontotoc 15-5 in game three of the first round of the MHSAA Playoffs.
To get to that point, two very different games occurred on Friday and Saturday.
South Pontotoc took the fight to Yazoo County in the Swamp on Friday night.
The Cougars struck first in the top of the first inning with a run to make it a 1-0 game.
Two more runs for South Pontotoc pushed the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second inning.
Yazoo County finally came to life in the bottom of the third inning with a run to cut the Cougars’ lead to 3-1.
But the Cougars pulled away once again in the top of the fourth to make it 4-1.
South Pontotoc added some insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning, making the final score 6-1.
On Saturday, the Panthers traveled to South Pontotoc with their backs against the wall.
After three scoreless innings to start the game, Yazoo County finally broke the tie with two runs in the top of the fourth inning.
But the Cougars fought back and cut the lead to 2-1 with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning.
South Pontotoc returned in the bottom of the seventh inning to score one more run, tying things back up at 2-2.
According to Yazoo County head coach Corbin Ellis, the game was one of the most exciting he has been apart of, particularly the ninth inning.
“Saturday was a game for the ages,” Ellis said. “My kids played with everything they had for nine innings. Talyn pitched the best game of his career. We loaded the bases in the 9th. Terrence put the ball in play and reached first on an error. Talyn singled. Brown reached on an error. Cailton drew a walk to give us the lead.”
A win by each team forced a necessary game three on Monday back in the Swamp.
After an offensive spark led to three runs for Yazoo County in the bottom of the first inning, it looked as if the Panthers would cruise to victory.
But errors reared their heads in a big way in the top of the second inning.
With the help of said errors and walks, the Cougars responded with seven runs to take a 7-3 lead.
The Panthers would not give up, however, and they scored two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 7-5.
The battle between the big cats turned into a defensive one for three innings with neither team able to get back on the board.
South Pontotoc put the final nail in Yazoo County’s season in the top of the sixth inning when they scored eight runs, making the final score 15-5.
Talyn Nash had a huge series for the Panthers. He went 6-for-11 with one triple, three RBIs and three runs scored in the three games.
While the team did not go as far as he would have liked, Ellis believes the season was wildly successful, and he believes the success can continue.
“It was a successful year,” Ellis said. “15-5 is the best we have ever done plus a district title. We are going to miss this group of seniors who have meant so much to the program. They laid the foundation and have set a new standard for us. We have a young squad of 10th and 9th graders that are ready to pick up where this group left off next season.”
In the end, the most prominent feeling Ellis had was pride for his team.
“These kids left it all on the field and played with heart and determination,” Ellis said. “Never been more proud of them!”
Yazoo County finished the season with a 15-5 record and a 9-1 record in the district.
