Northwest Rankin takes 1-0 series lead over Petal with 11-1 win at home

FLOWOOD — The top-ranked Cougars took their “unfinished business” mantra into the series opener of their 6A quarterfinal matchup with Petal Friday night, and they didn’t disappoint in front of the home crowd.

Nick Monistere held Petal to one run in five innings of work, and the Cougars exploded for four runs in the first and seven more in the third, cruising to an 11-1 win to take a 1-0 lead in the series.

Game Two is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Petal. If necessary, Game Three would be 7 p.m. Monday night at Wesley Scarborough Field.

If the Cougars (29-2) hit the ball like they did Friday, they’ll be tough to beat.

“(Petal) came out and swung the bats well early with three hits there in that first inning,” Northwest Rankin coach K.K. Aldridge said. “So responding with those four runs in the bottom of the first was huge. Then Nick goes out here and throws up a couple of zeroes, and we got the bats going and were able to expand (the lead) there in the third.

“Any time you get a chance to expand, that’s what you have to do in these playoff series.”

Seven different hitters accounted for 10 hits, and the Cougars took advantage of five Panther fielding errors.

Dawson Muenzenmay went 2-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Brice Ainsworth tallied three hits — including two doubles — drove in a run and scored another. Powell Ingram contributed an RBI single, and Christian Cameron scored twice and drove in a run.

“Feels great to get the win, knowing Nick did what he needed to do,” Muenzenmay said. “The bats were on fire, and we’re all behind Connor (Brooks) again tomorrow and hopefully we can go down there and get it done.”

For Monistere (9-1), Friday’s win wasn’t as pretty as last week’s second-round start against St. Martin, when he struck out 17 hitters in a seven-inning shutout.

To be fair, few are. But the senior right-hander pitched well after a slow start.

After giving up a run on three singles and an error in the first inning, the Southern Miss signee settled down and held Petal to three hits and a walk in the final four innings. He finished with seven strikeouts, five of which came with runners on base.

“Nick’s the kind of kid that when a hitter barrels up a ball on him, it only raises his level of determination,” Aldridge said. “I think you saw that tonight and I’m proud of the way he responded.”

Jayden Mark went 3-for-3 with the lone RBI for Petal (19-14). Starter Blake King was saddled with the loss, giving up eight earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 2.1 innings. Garrison Shows came on in relief and struck out three Cougars in the final 1.2 innings.

Northwest Rankin can close out the series with a win Saturday night with senior Connor Brooks (7-1) on the mound.

MORE: Check out the MHSAA 6A Baseball Playoff Bracket here

Brooks, who hasn’t given up a run in his last 21 innings of work, has some unfinished business of his own — he was the losing pitcher when the Panthers handed the Cougars one of their two losses back on March 1.

The winner of the series will get the winner of Brandon and Pearl in the 6A South State final.

The Bulldogs beat the Pirates 15-0 in the opening game of the other 6A South quarterfinal series Friday night in Brandon.