RAYMOND — Montana McDaniel was a late arrival to the Friday afternoon district clash at Central Hinds but he made big impact in sparking the Eagles to an 8-7 win over the Cougars.

McDaniel slugged a two-run home run in the fourth inning for one of his three hits and then nailed down the save as Central Hinds mounted a late comeback in the bottom of the seventh. PCA shortstop Clayton Holmes’ throw to Joe Borrello at first got there just in time to get Central’s Austin Biggs for the game’s final out.

“That was a good finish for us,” an elated PCA coach Randy Wright said as dark clouds from an approaching storm front began descending on a wet Cougar Field. Heavy rains from the night before made the infield treacherous for all infielder’s, but it was the pitchers who felt the most heat as the two teams combined for 23 hits, including four home runs.

The Eagles (10-5, 6-1) had three bombs and those accounted for seven of PCA’s eight runs.

“We had only hit four all year, and only two of those left the park,” Wright said. “We hit three out today. It was good day for us to swing the bat.”

Central Hinds coach Todd Montgomery was glad to see his team bounce back from Tuesday’s drubbing in Vicksburg at the hands of the Eagles.

“We gave them a good game today. We had a pretty good practice after they beat us so bad on Tuesday and we were better today,” Montgomery said. “Both teams hit the ball well.”

Central’s Trey Latham had a big day for the Cougars, going 3-for-3 with a solo home run, a double and four runs scored. The solo shot spotted Central a 1-0 lead after one inning.

Holmes erased that lead in the PCA third inning with a three-run homer to dead-center. The blast scored both Matt Warren and McDaniel for a 3-1 lead. Josh Perry’s RBI single later in the inning made it 4-1.

The Cougars got a run back in the third off a delayed steal. PCA answered as McDaniel smashed a two-run shot on a first-pitch fastball in the top of the fourth to make it 6-2.

A two-run double by Dawson Wynn pulled Central Hinds (4-8, 4-4) to within 6-4. They tied it in the fifth on a two-run single by Alex Bell off tiring Eagle starter Matt Warren.

McDaniel, who is the Eagles’ ace and who got the pitching win Tuesday, was going to come in and close but before doing so, he helped his cause by leading off the sixth with a single to left. He stole second and then went to third on Holmes’ flyout to center.

Colby Rushing’s deep fly to left joined the Eagles’ home-run party and gave PCA an 8-6 lead.

McDaniel struck out the side in the sixth to take a two-run lead to the seventh.

Latham, however, greeted McDaniel with a leadoff double for his third hit. A walk to Wyatt McClaskey put the tying run on. A fielder’s choice to second, kept the tying run at first but a hit by pitch loaded the bases. McDaniel came back to induce a grounder to the mound and he traded a run for an out as Latham scored.

Up 8-7 with the tying run on third and the winning run on second, McDaniel got another ground ball to short and Holmes made the game-ending play.

Warren earned the win, allowing six runs off 10 hits. Latham took the loss after being touched for eight runs off 12 hits.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com