Clinton baseball team advances to second round against Tupelo
By Danny C. Davis
Parker Thames waits for a pitch at Hernando
After missing the MHSAA baseball playoffs in 2024, the Clinton Arrow baseball team upset the #9 ranked Hernando Tigers in the opening round of the 2025 playoffs in two games to advance to the second round of the North MHSAA Class 7A baseball quarterfinals against region rival Tupelo.
CHS, now 21-7, travels to Tupelo for the best of three series that begins on Friday, May 2, at 7 p.m. for game one. Game two will be at Arrow Field on Saturday, May 3, at 6 p.m. Game three, if needed, will be back at Tupelo on Monday, May 5 at 7 p.m.
Ryan Saxton at the plate at Hernando
The Arrows are well familiar with Tupelo. The Golden Wave, 18-14, finished the regular season as the #3 seed in Region 2-7A, while CHS finished as the # 4 seed. The #21 ranked Arrows split two games with the Tupelo Golden Wave during the regular season in games decided by one run. CHS defeated Tupelo at home on April 8, 2-1, and fell at Tupelo in an extra inning on April 11, 6-5.
Going into the opening round of the playoffs against Hernando, the Arrows were big underdogs. Hernando had won 15 of their final 16 games and were the #1 seed in Region 1-7A, while Clinton was the #4 seed in Region 2-7A.
Stone Crain celebrates his 2nd home run of the day at Hernando
Clinton opened with a big 9-7 upset win on the road at Hernando. CHS trailed 3-2 before their bats got going in the fifth inning, scoring six runs to take an 8-6 lead. Junior Stone Crain, led the Arrows offensively, ripping two home runs that scored five runs. Clinton had 12 hits. Arrow junior pitcher Tyrese Haggard got the win. Freshman Parker Burrow started on the mound. Brody Zumbro threw in relief, and senior Phillip Burchfield got the save.
Josef Walker had a 2 RBI Double at Hernando
Back at Clinton for game two, the Arrows got an 11-5 win over the Hernando Tigers to advance to the second round. The Arrows jumped to 6-0 lead after scoring four runs in the first and two in the second, but the Tigers got four runs in the third to cut the margin to 6-4. The Arrows put the game out of reach with a five run sixth inning. Clinton had ten hits. At the plate, Ethan Dodson led the Arrows, going 3 for 3 with an RBI, Josef Walker went 3 for 1, scoring 2 runs with 2 RBIs. Parker Thames went 3 for 2 with 2 RBIs, and Crain hit another home run with 3 RBIs. Chad Bates went 4 for 2 and scored two runs. On the mound, Zumbro got the win for CHS. Haggard started, Burrow threw in relief, and Burchfield got the save.
