A slow start to the baseball postseason will have Tallulah Academy playing catch-up with its season on the line.

Seven of Briarfield Academy’s nine starters had a hit, and Deacon Howard, Miller Holt and Jackson Thornton each had two hits and two RBIs as the Rebels stunned Tallulah Academy 11-5 in Game 1 of their MAIS Class 2A playoff series on Tuesday.

Briarfield (9-4) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. Howard, Holt and Thornton each hit RBI singles during a five-run fourth inning that made it 8-2, and they tacked on two more runs in the seventh to seal the victory.

Tripp Gayle had three hits for Tallulah (20-9). Logan Hallmen was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Gage Palmer was 2-for-3 with one RBI and two runs scored.

Tallulah beat Briarfield 9-0 in their only regular-season meeting back in early March. The Trojans will now have to beat them twice in one day, when the teams play again Thursday in Tallulah.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series begins at 4 p.m., and if Game 3 is needed it’ll be played immediately afterward.