Kosciusko jumped to a big lead early and won a decisive Game 3 for the second time in a week Monday night, toppling Caledonia 9-5 to claim their best-of-three series in the MHSAA Class 4A state baseball playoffs.
The Whippets, who beat Corinth 8-6 in Game 3 of a first-round series last Tuesday, lost 2-1 to Caledonia on Friday in Game 1 of their second-round series.
But they rebounded to win 4-3 at Caledonia Saturday, then knocked off the Confederates Monday to advance to the third round.
Kosciusko, which is now 16-13 on the season, will face Amory in a best-of-three series which starts Thursday in Amory. The Whippets will host Game 2 Friday, with Game 3 (if necessary) to return to Amory Saturday. Times were not available at press time.
In Monday night’s decisive Game 3 of their second-round series, Kosciusko scored four times in the third inning to build a 5-0 lead. The Whippets stretched it to 8-1 after five innings and held on for the win.
Eldarius Roby was the winning pitcher, striking out three and scattering five hits in four scoreless innings. Nolen Yuille earned the save, going the final three innings and allowing no earned runs.
Five different Whippets had at least two hits, with Evan Scott going 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the way.
Clark Dean singled, tripled, scored twice and had an RBI and Micah Parker singled, doubled, scored and had one RBI. Chase Morgan also had a single and a double, while Brandon Black had two singles, a run and one RBI.
Logan Fancher singled, scored and drove in one; Ethan Gowan singled and scored; while Justin Nunn and Will Cook both scored.
In Game 1 of the series with Caledonia, the Whippets managed just two hits in a 2-1 loss at home last Friday.
Nunn and Dean each singled and Nunn scored the team’s only run.
Walker Yuille was the first of four Kosciusko pitchers and suffered the loss, tossing five innings and giving up two earned runs.
Saturday, the Whippets bounced back with a 4-3 win at Caledonia, pounding out 10 hits.
Fancher singled and doubled and Parker had two hits and a run scored.
Gowan doubled and scored, Dean doubled and Nunn singled, scored and drove in a run. Morgan, Walker Yuille and Lucas Price all singled and Black scored once.
Dean went the distance to get the win on the mound, throwing all seven innings. He allowed five hits and two earned runs and also struck out five.
In the third-and-decisive game of their previous series with Corinth, the Whippets came from four runs down to knock off the Warriors 8-6 last Tuesday.
Corinth scored four times in the bottom of the first inning. Kosy got two back in the second, scored three times in the third to go up 5-4, got three insurance runs in the sixth and held on for the win.
Dean singled, doubled, scored twice and drove in three runs and Morgan was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run to lead the way.
Fancher singled and doubled, while Walker Yuille doubled and drove in one. Parker singled and scored twice, while Black and Nunn both singled and scored.
Gowan had an RBI and Jon Deason scored once.
Nolen Yuille threw 5.1 innings and earned the win. He gave up only one earned run and struck out four, while Parker struck out the final two Corinth batters to earn the save.
