The Winona Christian Stars have had a hard time defending their MAIS AA State baseball Championship this year because of the rain.
The Stars did manage to squeeze in two games last week at the Rush Tournament in Meridian as they lost 10-7 to MHSAA Class 5A Neshoba Central and beat MHSAA Class 3A Choctaw Central 8-1.
WCS will return to action this week as the Stars square off with Marshall in a pair of key division contests. WCS was set to travel to Marshall on Tuesday and host the Patriots on Friday in its only scheduled action this week.
Neshoba Central 10, Winona Christian 7
The Rockets used a four-run six inning to pull away and take a three-run win over the Stars on Thursday at the Rush Tournament in Meridian.
Neshoba grabbed the early lead with two runs in the first inning and added two more in the top of the fourth. Winona rallied back with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to tie the game up at 4-4. Neshoba went back up with a run in the top of the fifth and pulled away with four in the top of the sixth. Winona scored two in the bottom of the sixth to pull within 9-6 and each team scored one run in the seventh.
Winona had six hits in the contest, led by Austin Huggins who was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs. Treyton Whitten had a single and drove in two runs while Latham Hill had a single and scored twice. Shaw Ferguson scored two runs while Blake Marlow singled and scored. Wyatt Chambley had Winona’s other hit.
Huggins got the start and pitched four innings, giving up four runs on 10 hits while striking out seven and walking two. Whitten pitched the next two innings and gave up five runs, only one earned, on two hits and two walks while striking out three. Deuce Irwin pitched the final inning, giving up one run on two hits and one walk while striking out two.
Winona Christian 8, Choctaw Central 1
The Stars got back on the winning track as they outhit Choctaw Central 10-3 to take a seven-run win in their second game of the day on Thursday in Meridian.
Winona scored one in the first and seventh and used three-run innings in the second and fifth to take the win.
In all, the Stars had 10 hits as Reed Roberts had a double and drove in two runs. Deuce Irwin, Treyton Whitten, Austin Huggins and Blake Marlow all had RBI singles in the contest while Cade Marlow and Choyce Diffey each had singles and scored runs. Latham Hill and Wyatt Chambley also had singles for Winona.
Blake Marlow pitched a complete-game three-hitter as he allowed just one unearned run while striking out seven, hitting four and walking one.
