Brock Tapper comes through for DeSoto Central, Jags even MHSAA 6A Championship series with Northwest Rankin

PEARL — DeSoto Central might have had the lead, but their backs were certainly against the wall in the top of the sixth against Northwest Rankin in Game 2 of the MHSAA 6A Championship series.

The Cougars had just trimmed the DeSoto Central lead to 4-3, and had runners on second and third with nobody out.

But Brock Tapper had a couple more missiles remaining in that left arm. The Jaguar senior struck out the next three Northwest Rankin hitters to end the threat and preserve the lead.

The rest, as they say, is history. The Jaguars plated seven more runs in the bottom of the sixth and held on for a 11-3 win to even the championship series at 1-1.

A winner-take-all Game 3 is set for 1 p.m. at Trustmark Park Sunday.

“Our second baseman Tyler Pearson has been my best friend my whole life,” Tapper said. “He came to the mound after they scored that run and put those two men on, and said ‘Alright buddy, this is make or break right here.’ I got the first (strikeout) and he was like ‘Two more!’ I got the second one, then I got the third one and I couldn’t get off the field before the whole team was out to celebrate. It was awesome, man.”

In Game 2, the roles were completely reversed from Friday night’s Game 1, when Northwest Rankin (33-3) took an early lead and held on for a 9-4 win.

It was the Jaguars (22-11) who gained an early advantage Saturday.

Tapper got things going by reaching first on a ground ball to second that Northwest Rankin’s Evan Rogers couldn’t field cleanly. Another throwing error allowed him to go all the way to third, and a sac fly from Ryan Musselwhite put the Jags on the board.

Josh King singled in another run, and NWR starter Connor Brooks beaned Kristian Sprawling with the bases loaded. Colton Coates’ sacrifice fly made it 4-0 headed to the third inning.

The Cougars got two runs back in the top of the inning. Ryan Herbison singled, Rogers reached on a fielding error and both of them came around to score on Nick Monistere’s triple to the warning track in left field.

But it wasn’t enough. After the Cougars fell short in the sixth, the Jaguars came out riding Tapper’s energy and put up seven runs to put the game on ice.

“You just have to tip your cap to (Tapper) there,” Northwest Rankin coach K.K. Aldridge said. “He made some pitches in that situation, they were able to escape a couple of times and we left some guys on base. In a game like this, you have to come through, and the team that gets the most clutch hits is going to win. Give them credit, they did that tonight.”

Everybody hit for DeSoto Central — Musselwhite and Connor Keough led the way with two hits apiece. Musselwhite drove in three runs and Josh King drove in two. Sprawling had a big night as well, with a triple, an RBI and a run scored.

Connor Brooks suffered the loss for Northwest Rankin. He threw 93 pitches in 5.1 innings of work, allowing four earned runs on five hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Tapper earned the win, throwing 118 pitches in six innings and allowed two earned runs on seven hits with one walk and 12 strikeouts.

“It was a situation that we felt like we’ve been in all year,” DeSoto Central coach Mark Monaghan said. “We’ve been hit in the mouth 11 times this year, and that was the message today — respond. Brock Tapper pitched his tail off and we got some big hits when we needed them. Just a good ball game all the way around.”

The win sets the stage for the winner-take-all third game. Northwest Rankin will send right-hander Ryan Herbison to the mound to face DeSoto Central’s Gavin Brassfield.

(All photos by Austin Frayser)

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