Cayden Baker pitches Lewisburg past Gulfport in MHSAA 6A Championship Series opener
PEARL — The formula for North State Champion Lewisburg has been simple this year — pitch well and cobble together enough offense to win.
There’s nothing broken about that system, and there’s no reason to try to fix it.
The Patriots followed that blueprint to perfection Tuesday night, taking an early lead and riding another magnificent start from Baylor commit Cayden Baker to a 2-1 win over South Champ Gulfport in Game 1 of the MHSAA Class 6A Championship at Trustmark Park.
Lewisburg (28-8) can clinch its first championship since 2013, and first in Class 6A, with a win in Game 2, slated for 7 p.m. Thursday night. Gulfport (23-11) must win to send the series to a potential third game Saturday.
Baker was the star in Tuesday night’s Game 1 win. The junior went 6 and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts.
“Cayden’s a dog,” Lewisburg coach Rusty Cagle said. “He’s an ultimate competitor, and I wanted to let him finish the game, but we needed that lefty-lefty matchup (for the last out). I know he’s mad at me, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. He’s a dog.”
It started somewhat shaky for Baker, who issued two first-inning walks and gave up a sacrifice fly to Gulfport’s Dawson Hall to fall behind 1-0.
He settled down after that, retiring 11 of the next 13 batters he faced.
“I had all my pitches tonight,” Baker said. “My velocity had been down recently, so I just wanted to go out there, try to have my best stuff and compete. Early on, I didn’t have the zone very well. So coming out there the rest of the game, I was just trying to dominate the zone.”
He did, throwing 58 of his 91 pitches for a strike without issuing another walk.
Lewisburg pulled even in the second inning, when Gunner Gilmore reached on a throwing error and Caden Nelson scored from second after pinch running for Trae Cagle.
They took the lead in the third, when Cooper Bennett drew a walk, and came around to score on a Gage Haley sacrifice fly.
“It’s been that way for us all year,” Cagle said. “We win ugly, and you won’t see us celebrating a lot after a win like this. We’re used to playing close games and finding ways to win.”
Talon Haley came on to get the final out in the seventh inning, walking one batter before getting a strikeout to end it.
The slow offensive night spoiled an absolute gem from Admirals starter Josh Lee. The senior right-hander pitched all six innings and gave up just one earned run on two hits and three walks with seven strikeouts.
But it was all for naught — the Gulfport offense never could put real pressure on Baker after that first inning.
“I thought (Baker) was great tonight,” Gulfport coach Jamie MacMahon said. “When he really bared down in key situations, he made some great pitches against us. We did what we thought we needed to do, which was to scratch (a run) early, but we never could get that big hit.”
