Rockets win in odd fashion

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
March 17, 2004
DECATUR Neshoba Central head coach Brian Jones certainly wasn't disappointed after his team's 12-2 win over Carthage on Tuesday, but he couldn't help looking a little confused.
Although the Rockets tallied a dozen runs, they did so on just three base hits.
It was important enough, in fact, to land Neshoba Central in today's championship game of the Spring Break Tournament at East Central Community College. The Rockets will face Meridian at 5:30 p.m.
Senior pitcher Taylor Petty kept Carthage batters off-balance throughout the evening. Petty allowed just one run over five innings in the game, which was called during the bottom of the fifth after Neshoba Central's lead hit 10 runs.
Neshoba Central scored two runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the third inning, but all without tallying a hit. Tyler Adkins and Petty scored in the first on walks to Allan Sisson and Ricky McCrary. Scott Fieber and Sisson came home in the third on a Carthage throwing error.
The Rockets plated five more runs in the fourth inning before coming up with their first base hit, a triple by freshman David Goforth. Goforth's shot to the wall scored two more Neshoba Central runners, Michael Smith and McCrary, to complete a seven-run inning that gave the Rockets a 9-2 lead.
Neshoba Central drew 12 walks, including five in the first inning. Sisson reached base on three of the walks and came away with one the Rockets' trio of hits, a two-RBI single to center field in the fifth that ended the game.
Petty legged out Neshoba Central's only other hit, an infield single, earlier in the fifth. He and Tyler Adkins scored on Sisson's single.
The Rockets are 8-5 heading into today's game against Meridian.
In the consolation bracket of the Spring Break Tournament on Tuesday, Newton County scored five runs in the final two innings to edge out Bruce 11-10.
The Cougars got triples from Will Pearson and Bud Loper, and two triples from Josh Pender. Pender pitched 2.1 innings and got the win, which improved Newton County's record to 7-7.
In the day's other consolation bracket contest, Philadelphia advanced with an 8-3 win over Choctaw Central. Jason Reed recorded the victory on the mound for the Tornadoes.
Jamaal Peeples hit a home run and a single with four RBIs for Philadelphia, and Tundrick Burnside notched a single and a double with one RBI. Ricky Isaac hit two singles for Choctaw Central.