Patriots clinch district title

Marshall Academy put a stranglehold on the district race last week.

Coach Bruce Branch's Patriots swept Lee Academy, two wins at Clarksdale and one at home to up their win streak to 18. MA improved to 6-0 in District 1-3A and clinched first place with three games awaiting next week versus North Delta School.

"I like this group's mindset, and how far we've come as a team," he said. "Our hard work is paying off. Winning the division is the first step to getting to where we want to as a baseball program."

In game one of the threegame series versus Lee, the Patriots got lights-out pitching from Landon Houston and won 7-0.

He struck out 12, walked one and gave up four hits. He threw 94 pitches in a complete game ­  seven innings.

The MA offense gave him an early lead, sending four runners across the plate in the top of the first. Colton Atherton, Colton Neal and Devin Sanders all singled in their first at bat.

The Pats got one run in the third. Walker Sanders doubled and scored on Houston's hit to left field.

Houston picked up another RBI in the fifth. His fly ball to center allowed Rusty Bolden to tag up and score. Bolden had led off the inning with a double.

Bolden then scored MA's final run in the seventh.

Marshall had five hits, two from the bat of Neal. His second hit of the game was a double.

The Patriots, behind another strong pitching performance, knocked off the Colts 2-1 in extra innings in game two of the series.

Jackson Graves was the man on the mound this time around. He threw a one-hitter, struck out 10 and walked two. He threw 97 pitches in eight innings of work.

The game was tied at one at the end of the seventh.

Atherton opened the top of the eighth with a double to right field. He later scored on Houston's sacrifice fly to right.

Then Jackson Graves recorded three consecutive outs in the bottom of the eighth as MA left the Delta with another win.

Marshall had just four hits, with Atherton getting two of those. Neal doubled, and W. Sanders singled. Houston had another RBI in the sixth.

"Our pitching was very good in those two games at Clarksdale," Coach Branch said. "We used only two pitchers, and both threw it well." Game three was total domi-

nation. The Patriots ended it early, after just two and half innings, with seven runs in the first and 10 in the second for a 17-0 rout.

"We took them out of the game early," he said.

Jordan Bonds had a night to remember from the batter's box. He crushed a pair of homers, two-run and three-run blasts, and both in the bottom of the second inning.

"Jordan pretty much singlehandily beat them," Branch said.

"I'd never seen that before, two home runs in the same inning. And both were nodoubters."

One cleared the high wall in center field and the other was drilled over the right field fence.

Bonds also had a single and an RBI in the first.

The Patriots had nine hits total. W. Sanders had two hits, one of those a double, and three RBIs. Atherton, the leadoff man, had a pair of singles. Bolden drove in two runs and Jamie Graves one.

MA also swiped six bases, two of those by Atherton.

Hunter Peeks pitched all three innings and earned the win. He struck out two and gave up two hits.

Coach Branch is in his third year at MA, and he said what was a very young team in 2019 has showed tremendous growth.

"To win the division was an initial goal when I got here," said Branch, whose squad has been ranked number one in Class 3A. "We wanted to win the division first and then worry about everything else after that.

"We're still pushing ourselves. This team is showing a lot of determination. I'm happy where we are.

"We've proven we've got a team that can potentially make a run at it (a state championship)"

MA-Magnolia Heights The Patriots saw their 18game win streak come to an end Saturday afternoon in Senatobia, losing 6-2 to Magnolia Heights, highly-ranked in Class 4A. MA took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second but also left the bases loaded. The Chiefs tied the game in the bottom of the second, added one in the third and one in the fifth and then scored three in the bottom of the sixth. The Pats scored another in top of the seventh.

Atherton had two of Marshall's five hits, both doubles. Houston also added a double.

Houston started on the mound and threw four innings. He struck out two, walked four and gave up one hit.

He was relieved by Jackson Graves, who tossed two innings, struck out one, walked none and gave up six hits.

"We needed to be checked a little bit," Coach Branch said. "Playing a team the quality of Magnolia Heights is a good measuring stick. In the playoffs, the competition will get harder and harder."

The Patriots (18-2) hosted Myrtle on Monday. They host St. George's School Thursday at 6 p.m. They then close the regular season by hosting North Delta for a doubleheader Tuesday, April 13, at 4 p.m. and then going to Batesville Thursday, April 15, for a 6 p.m. contest.