After losing their first three games of the season, the South Pontotoc Cougars began to pick their game up with an 8-4 win over Saltillo at the Amory Tournament and a 5-3 road win last week at Mooreville.

“We’re not making the errors that we made in the last three ballgames,” said Cougar head coach Buckner noting his South boys had committed around 15 in the first three games.

“We’re getting some questions answered about some positions and we’ve gotten better pitching in the last two games.”

The Mooreville game

Senior pitcher Heath Kitchens gave his Cougar defense less work to do behind him in this game when he struck out 11 Troopers, and senior David Bowen went three-for-three from the plate, including a double and a home run.

South jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when junior Jermaine Bean was hit by a pitch and brought home by a Bowen two-run dinger.

Mooreville’s Ben Kingsley kept the Troopers in the game with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first.

Fourth inning

After back-to-back singles by Bowen and Kitchens and a walk to senior Tanner Luttrell in the top of the fourth, a two-run single by senior Jared Wilson made it a 4-1 affair.

Mooreville, with the help of a SP error, added a run with two singles in the fifth inning to make it 4-2, South.

Seventh inning

Bowen reached third after a walk and two passed balls in the top of the seventh. Then a Trooper fielding error allowed Bowen to score to make it 5-2.

Kingsley would again homer in the Mooreville half of the inning, but it was too little, too late, and the Cougars slipped out of town with the 5-3 win.

The Amory Tourney

New Hope defeated South 6-0 in the first game. Heath Kitchens suffered the loss, but struck out six while allowing only six hits.

Jared Wilson homered in the Cougars’ 8-4 loss to Itawamba in game two.

Then, in game three, Tanner Luttrell picked up the 8-4 South Pontotoc win over Saltillo.