By JAY TIDWELL/Sports Writer

SPRINGVILLE — The last thing Zach Gory wanted was the game to end in a tie.

Under the special rules for last week's NEMCABB Region 5 high school baseball tournament, hosted by South Pontotoc, perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing.

Gory, the starting pitcher for Pontotoc, tossed the full seven innings, striking out seven and allowing only one base on balls, as Pontotoc and North Pontotoc battled to a 2-2 tie in the opening match of the tournament.



The two Class 4A schools were part of a four-team pool competing for seeding in this week's championship rounds. Under special tournament rules, games could end in a tie with seeds being sorted out based on their team’s overall performance in their three games.

"I hate tying," said Gory, a sophomore Southpaw. "But we kept the runs to a minimum."

Pontotoc, which defeated South Pontotoc (5-3) but lost to Mooreville (11-9) on Friday, will play as the No. 2 seed from the region in this week's Championship Round.

North Pontotoc defeated Mooreville (8-2) and won against South Pontotoc (8-3) on Friday, to advance as the top seed from the region.

"The main goal we had today, knowing it was hot and the ball was going to travel around the park, was to put the ball in play and let our defense make the plays for us," Gory said.

"We had a good game out there today."

Brandon Davis also had a nice outing on the mound for North Pontotoc, pitching a complete game with five strikeouts and allowing only two bases-on balls.

"It was going to be tough on everybody, playing in this heat," said Pontotoc head coach Phil Webb. "Both guys threw it across the plate, and took care of business.They were very efficient."

Gory helped himself with a ground-rule double in the second that gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead.



North Pontotoc tied it in the fourth on a double by Gage Davis that scored Austin Robbins from first base.



Then a solo home run in the fifth by Ryan Watts, an eighth grader, put Pontotoc ahead again, 2-1.

"In my first at bat, I struggled a little bit," said Watts, who hit 2-for-3 while batting ninth.



“In my next at bat, I had two strikes on me, so I knew I had to be careful.



“I swung at it, and it just went out."

Later, Gage Davis added the tying run in the seventh, delivering a solo home run to left on the first pitch from Gory.

"I was pretty amazed when I hit the bomb," said Davis, a right-handed hitting sophomore, who batted 3-for-3 and accounted for both RBIs for North Pontotoc.



"I hit pretty good that game, everybody about did. We just struggled a few times."

Kyle Russell, Pontotoc's catcher, batted 2-for-3 with a pair of singles

.

"We played well and played defense pretty good," said North Pontotoc head coach Chad Anthony.



"At times in the first game, we left some runners on, but we got a big hit from Gage Davis toward the end of the game to tie it up.



“We played well.

"We're not happy with a tie. Every time we put the uniform on, we want to win and we play to win. So I'm sure we feel the same way as Pontotoc about it. Nobody likes a tie. But the tournament rules are tournament rules.



“That's the way it is," Anthony said, then smiled.