By JAY TIDWELL/Sports Writer

Pontotoc continued to score in arcade-like fashion as they cruised to the finals of the State American Legion tournament.

All that was left for the Red Sox was to win one more game in order to capture the state title and lock up a berth in next week's Mid-South Regional in Grand Prairie, Texas.

Pontotoc, hosts of this year's state tournament, used powerful hitting and dazzling pitching to sweep through games against Itawamba (30-7), Tupelo (12-1) and Corinth (16-0), finishing each one in the minimum seven innings under the ten-run rule.



The tournament, which began last Friday, was originally scheduled to wrap up on Monday evening, but was forced into Tuesday by several delays due to severe weather and injury.

Pontotoc was scheduled to face Corinth again in the state title game yesterday afternoon, with a second game to be played if necessary.

The Red Sox were undefeated in the double-elimination tournament entering the title match. They won their final regular-season meeting against Corinth by double-digits (14-1) in the T-N-T Classic in Florence, Alabama.

"I think we've pitched well and we've also hit the ball well," said Nickey Browning, long-time coach of the Red Sox who most recently guided them to a state title in 2007.

“Of course, when you score a whole lot of runs, it makes it a whole lot easier on your pitching.”

Pontotoc 30, Itawamba 7

Every starter had multiple hits against the Cardinals on Friday as the Red Sox pounded out 21 as a team — including four home runs.



David Bowen (South Pontotoc/ICC) hit a grand slam and Lee Wilson (Wheeler/-Lipscomb) had a two-run homer in the second inning, to break open the contest, giving Pontotoc a 14-0 lead after two.

Colten Robbins (North Pontotoc/ICC) came off the bench to drive a three-run shot to center in the sixth to finish the scoring. Zach Chavers (Pontotoc/ICC) batted 5-for-5 and led off the fifth with a homer.

Jeremy Ferguson (North Pontotoc/ICC) batted 4-for-5 with two doubles, and Jon Michael Hannon (Pontotoc/NEMCC) hit 4-for-5 with a double.



Pontotoc 12, Tupelo 1

Dylan Earnest (Hamilton/ICC) tossed six innings of shut-out baseball on Saturday evening, allowing only two hits by Tupelo.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox pulled ahead 5-0, boosted by a lead-off home run in the fifth by Phillip Tice (New Hope/Dyersburg State). Tice, who plays short stop, finished with 3-for-4 hitting.

The game was suspended in the bottom of the sixth after Tupelo's relief pitcher, Tyler Awtrey (Mooreville/ICC), was hit by a line drive and was later airlifted to the hospital.

When the contest resumed on Sunday afternoon, Pontotoc piled on seven runs to finish the frame.

It locked up the win in the next inning with Kaleb Kennedy (Pontotoc/ICC) finishing on the mound and holding the 49ers to a single run.

At the last report, Awtrey's condition was improving.



Pontotoc 16, Corinth 0

Opposing hitters wouldn't want to face Nathan White on a good day.

White (Pontotoc/NEMCC) dominated Corinth on the mound for the full seven innings in a 16-0 win on Monday morning, recording the only shutout of the tournament to date. The match was originally scheduled for Sunday evening, but was postponed due to bad weather.

The tall right-hander, who collected the win against Itawamba in the tournament opener, said he didn't have his best stuff early on, but he held the Alcorn County team to four hits — and only one for extra bases.

"I wasn't feeling real great when I came out," said White (6-foot-4, 195), "but the more the game went along, the better I felt."

While White was shutting down Corinth, his teammates were again piling up double-digits in runs.

"The run support helps a lot. It makes you feel more comfortable out there," said White, who improved to 5-0 on the mound.

Tice sent the first pitch of the game into the rightfield corner for a triple. Ferguson followed with an RBI single to right. The lone run was eventually all that was needed.

"We've been hitting the ball hard, and we're all clicking at the same time," said Ferguson, who also added solid defensive play in right field. "We just need to keep on hitting the ball."

From top to bottom, the Red Sox were pounding out the hits. Tice finished 3-for-5, Wilson hit 3-for-4 as well as Hannon, who batted in the No. 9 slot.

First baseman Jake Smithey (Pontotoc/MSU) hit 2-for-3 and made a nifty putout across the field at third base when Corinth's only runner to reach that base was caught in a rundown after breaking for home.

Throughout the six-team tournament, Pontotoc (29-7) had the advantage of heavy run support.

The back-to-back ten-run rule contests have also enabled Browning to conserve his pitchers. Only White, Earnest and Jim Tom Copeland (Batesville/-North Delta), who pitched two innings in relief in the opener against Itawamba, had multiple innings heading into Tuesday's finals.