1 of 8

Tallulah Academy third baseman Kennedy Collins, left, tries to tag Porter's Chapel Academy's Conley Johnston on a ground ball in the second inning of Monday's game. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy pitcher Chad Fuson delivers during Monday's game against Tallulah Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Tallulah Academy pitcher Tripp Gayle delivers during Monday's game against Tallulah Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Cameron Potter bats in the first inning of Monday's game against Tallulah Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Tallulah Academy catcher Luke Moberley throws the ball back to the pitcher during Monday's game against Porter's Chapel Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy's Conley Johnston prepares to bat in the second inning of Monday's game against Tallulah Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Tallulah Academy's Luke Moberley takes a lead off of second base during Monday's game against Porter's Chapel Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

Porter's Chapel Academy senior baseball players Cameron Potter, Evan Gordon, Conley Johnston and Hunter Simms stand with coach Rob Riggin during a senior night ceremony before Monday's game against Tallulah Academy. (Ernest Bowker/The Vicksburg Post)

The top of Tallulah Academy’s lineup had a day almost as perfect as the 80-degree temperatues and sunny skies that embraced Mississippi in a warm spring hug on Monday.

Luke Moberley, J.T. McDaniel and Tripp Gayle — the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 batters in the lineup — were a combined 9-for-10 at the plate, with seven RBIs and 12 runs scored as the Trojans beat Porter’s Chapel Academy 14-4 in the first half of a home-and-home series.

McDaniel hit two doubles and a triple as he went 4-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs scored. Moberley was 2-for-2, walked three times and scored five runs. Gayle finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

Gayle and McDaniel also teamed up on the mound. Gayle pitched the first three innings and allowed two runs while striking out six batters. McDaniel covered the last four innings and had eight strikeouts.

Tallulah (14-10) broke open a close game by scoring three times in the fifth inning, then added another three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh.

McDaniel hit an RBI triple and scored on Gayle’s single in the fifth inning to put the Trojans ahead 6-2. After PCA got a run back in the bottom of the inning, McDaniel hit an RBI double to score Moberley, and then scored on another single by Gayle to make it 9-3.

Clayton McClure was 2-for-3 with two RBIs for PCA (3-20). Senior Evan Gordon reached base three times on two walks and a double, and scored twice.

PCA and Tallulah Academy will play again Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Tallulah.

Warren Central 6, St. Andrew’s 2
Blake Caruthers and Caden Cole each had two hits and scored two runs, Hayes Loper doubled in three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, and Warren Central (14-9) beat defending MHSAA Class 2A champion St. Andrew’s (19-8).

The Nos. 6-9 batters in Warren Central’s lineup — Caruthers, Jacob Kealhofer, Cole and Ryan Steed — were a combined 6-for-11 with two RBIs. They scored all six of the Vikings’ runs. Cole and Steed each had an RBI single in the fourth inning to put them ahead 3-2, and then both scored along with Caruthers’ on Loper’s game-breaking double in the sixth.

Maddox Lynch pitched a seven-inning complete game for Warren Central. He allowed two unearned runs on four hits, walked one batter and struck out eight.

Warren Central will finish its regular-season schedule this week with a home-and-home series with crosstown rival Vicksburg. The Vikings and Gators will play at VHS’ Showers Field Tuesday, and then at WC’s Viking Field on Friday. The junior varsity games will begin at 5 p.m. and the varsity at 7 both days.

About Ernest Bowker

Ernest Bowker is The Vicksburg Post's sports editor. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post's sports staff since 1998, making him one of the longest-tenured reporters in the paper's 140-year history. The New Jersey native is a graduate of LSU. In his career, he has won more than 50 awards from the Mississippi Press Association and Associated Press for his coverage of local sports in Vicksburg.

More by Ernest

More Sports

Vote now in The Vicksburg Post’s Athlete of the Week contest for April 6-12, 2025

Game Plan: April 14, 2025

Sports Column: Hard work, compassion on display at softball games

Who’s Hot: Whitley Parks