Booneville clubs Yazoo City, advances to 3A quarterfinals

BOONEVILLE – Booneville didn't have much time to play baseball on Friday afternoon, but the team made the most of what it had.

The Blue Devils mercy-ruled Yazoo County 11-1 in five innings in Game 2 of their Class 3A second-round series. The game ended as a light drizzle quickly turned into a downpour.

Booneville (16-12) completed a sweep with the win and will face either Nettleton or Alcorn Central in the state quarterfinals.

"We swung the bats well," Blue Devils coach Jake Scott said. "We kind of started off slow, but just kept swinging, and got a couple big hits right there at the end."

The Panthers (17-10) took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Booneville responded with a three-run home run by Jack Sandlin in the bottom half.

The Blue Devils left the bases loaded in the second, then left a runner on third in the third. In the fourth, Booneville got three straight one-run singles from Cade Lott, Jacob Matthews and Sandlin, which made it 6-1.

Sandlin led the Blue Devils with four runs batted in on two hits. His success came from trying to drive the ball up the middle.

"I've been struggling pulling off the ball," Sandlin said. "And this week I've really focused on staying up the middle of the field. That's usually where I hit the ball."

Booneville loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth. A single, a hit-by-pitch and another single added a run each, then Porter Tapp singled in two more runs to invoke the mercy rule and end the game.

The Blue Devils are averaging 15 runs in their four playoff games so far. Three of the four ended via mercy rule.

"I just think one through nine, we just don't have people that are giving at-bats away," Scott said. "I think it's really hard for the pitchers when they have nine people competing in the box."

Cade Lott went all five innings on the mound, allowing no earned runs, three hits, no walks and striking out seven. He also went 2 for 3 at the dish and drove in three runs.

Extra Bases

Big Inning: Booneville did not trail after Sandlin's home run.

Big Stat: Booneville has outscored its playoff opponents 60-7.

Coach Speak: "I just think we had to stay aggressive. It was kind of 50% balls and strikes, and we backed off a little bit. As we got more aggressive, we took better swings." – Scott, on the fifth inning

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