PEARL – Josh Gordon was having a night to remember.

The Warren Central senior ripped three home runs on three straight at bats. He had five strike outs in six batters faced in his first two innings of relief. And he sported a large knot behind his ear after getting belted with a pitch in the top of the seventh against Olive Branch.

The beanball had an even bigger effect in the bottom of the seventh when the super sharp Gordon walked Olive Branch’s No. 9 hitter Brandon Taylor on five pitches.

Taylor would later come around to score the game-winning run when Gordon’s catcher, Ben Koestler, overthrew the bag at third off Taylor’s attempted steal.

Despite the 4-3 loss that left the Vikings with a split on the second day of the Mid-Mississippi Classic, WC coach Randy Broome was not too disappointed.

&#8220I was actually more disappointed with our win over McComb than I was with the loss to Olive Branch,” Broome said. &#8220I’m very proud of the effort we had against Olive Branch. We showed we can play with anybody.”

The Vikings (3-3) showed some comeback ability, rallying for a 7-6 win in their last at-bat to beat McComb in their first contest.

Gordon hit the second of his three homers to erase a 6-5 deficit, tying the game at 6-all. Cody Ferguson then won it with a single to left, scoring Jonathan Ettinger for the win.

Gordon’s third home run came in the second inning against Olive Branch. Again, it erased a one-run deficit, and set up a two-run Viking inning.

&#8220All three came on fastballs,” Gordon said. He did not get to take another swing. He was intentionally walked the next two at-bats and then plunked on the third.

&#8220It was like, whew!” Gordon said of the pitch from Olive Branch’s Dalton Kulas that left a quarter-size knot behind his ear.

Gordon was able to shake it off and go to first base, loading the bases in the top of the seventh in a 3-3 game.

Pinch-hitter Harry Ferguson hit into a force that erased Nick Carson who had led off the seventh with a sharp hit to right. Ettinger then hit a line-drive to right that was caught by Kyle Aldridge.

&#8220Ettinger hit that ball right on the button, but it was just right to him (Aldridge),” Broome said. &#8220That’s what you want in that situation, a well-hit ball to right.”

Kulas got the win despite allowing a hit, a walk and a hit batsman. Gordon took the hardluck loss, giving up an unearned run while fanning five batters.

Gordon led WC with two runs scored. The second came in the fifth when he was intentionally walked with two out, but still scored when Jeff Ward’s grounder resulted in a bad throw past first base.

The Conquistadors tied it at 3 in the bottom half of the fifth with Blake Trusty’s solo home run off Carson, who started for the Vikings and left with no outs in the fifth.

Against McComb, the Vikings trailed 5-3 in the fifth when Gordon hit his first home run of the day, a two-run shot. He also had a double in the game and finished with four RBIs.

Eric Douglas had a solo home run, one of his two hits.

Chris Whittington got the win. He got one batter out in the seventh after McComb had taken a 6-5 lead on Laney Sullivan’s RBI double.

Scott Mercier took the loss for McComb.

St. Al 15, Raymond 0.

Blake Tidwell responded from a short first outing one week ago with a stellar pitching effort Friday night.

The St. Aloysius senior pitched four innings, allowed no runs on two hits and struck out seven as the Flashes defeated Raymond in the Little Mid-Mississippi Classic at McLaurin.

Jordan Muirhead led the Flashes’ (1-1) offensive attack with two singles and a double, while Pierson Waring and Stephen Evans each had two hits and Ryno Martin-Nez had a single and a double.

The Flashes led 7-0 after the first inning and put the game out of reach with a seven-run third. The game was called after the fourth inning because of the mercy rule.

The Flashes are scheduled to play Yazoo City today, and will return home on Tuesday to play Bogue Chitto in the division opener.

Vicksburg 10, Meridian 0.

One close call was enough for the Vicksburg Gators.

After rallying in their last at-bat to beat Pearl on Thursday, Vicksburg crushed Meridian at the Mid-Mississippi Classic.

Stanton Price led the way for the Gators (4-0), striking out eight batters in five innings and helping his own cause with a pair of hits.

Vernon Wolfe, Jordan Henry and Tanner Woodson also had two hits apiece for Vicksburg.