Facing the meat of its division schedule, Magnolia Heights had its hands full with Heritage Academy last week but took two out of three games from the Patriots.
Heritage Academy took the opening game by a 2-1 final in Columbus last Tuesday, but the Chiefs rebounded for a pair of 13-3 and 4-2 wins in Senatobia on Thursday.
In the series opener at Heritage Academy, the Patriots gained a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and both teams went scoreless over the next two innings. MHS tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo homer from Cole Prosek, but Heritage Academy scratched across the winning run in the bottom of the fifth.
MHS surrendered nine base hits to the Patriots, while the Chiefs were held to just two, one being the solo homer from Prosek and the other coming off the bat of Preston Sowell.
On the mound, Quincy Pratt was handed the loss, despite striking out eight batters against a single walk over five complete innings. Hayden Smith tossed the sixth inning in relief, garnering a pair of strikeouts.
In the first of two games on The Hill, MHS broke out the bats, smashing out 13 runs on 14 hits to win in run-rule fashion. The Chiefs started the game with a 1-0 lead and tacked on seven more runs in the bottom of the second, stretching the lead to 8-0.
Though Heritage Academy responded with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning, Magnolia Heights countered with three runs in the home half of the inning. The Patriots scraped a run across in the top of the fifth, but the Chiefs ended the game with two runs in the bottom of the same inning.
Sowell led Magnolia Heights’ efforts at the plate, finishing 4-for-4 with three doubles, a home run and a whopping seven RBIs. Ethan Barnes, Tre Miller and Leland Weldon also finished with two base hits apiece, with Barnes hammering out a pair of doubles with two RBIs.
Miller and Weldon each finished with a double, while Shaw Coley and Carter Drumheller were each credited with a double as well.
Prosek pitched four complete innings on the mound, striking out seven batters against no walks and two earned runs surrendered. Coley tossed the final inning, striking out two batters with only one run allowed.
In the series finale, MHS took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and further stretched the margin to 3-1 after the second inning. The Patriots responded with a run in the fourth, but the Chiefs tacked on another run and held on for the doubleheader sweep.
Prosek led the efforts at the plate for Magnolia Heights, finishing 3-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs. Pratt also went 3-for-3, as the duo accounted for all six of the Chiefs’ base hits.
Sowell struck out six batters against two walks and one earned run in six complete innings, while Conner Edge tossed a pair of strikeouts in a complete seventh inning relief appearance.
With the series win, Magnolia Heights improved to 18-4 on the season. Weather permitting, the Chiefs will face Starkville Academy this week, beginning on April 1 with a doubleheader scheduled for April 3.
