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WOODVILLE — Tallulah Academy pitcher Hayes Hopkins held Wilkinson County Christian Academy to just six hits as the District 3-2A No. 1 seed Trojans shut out the District 3-2A No. 2 seed Rams 8-0 last Thursday afternoon to even the 2024 MAIS Class 2A South State Championship Series at one game apiece.

WCCA head coach Kyle White said that Game 3 of this best-of-three series was still scheduled to take place at 5 p.m. Friday at Tallulah Academy in Tallulah, La. despite the rough weather that hit much of north Louisiana and central Mississippi last Thursday night.

Hopkins pitched all seven innings and had his curveball working in his complete-game performance.

“We’ve seen Hayes twice. He throws a good curveball. He had good command of his curveball. That’s what kept us off balance,” White said. “We hit the ball. But too many fly balls in general. It was hot. He did his job. He threw a good amount of strikes. They did what they needed to do to win the game. He did a good job on the mound.”

And Hopkins got all the run support he needed before he even stepped on the mound as Tallulah Academy scored two runs in the top of the first inning. The Trojans put the game out of reach after scoring four runs in the top of the fifth inning that put the visiting team ahead 6-0. They would add one run each in the top of the sixth and seventh innings.

Meanwhile, the host Rams let an opportunity to sweep the series at home slip away. Jack Orgeron led them at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double.

Luke Moberley went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and Gage Palmer was 3-for-5 with one run scored to lead the Trojans at the plate. As a team, Tallulah Academy finished with 14 total base hits.

“They put the ball in play. We weren’t as efficient on the mound as we could be,” White said. “When you get behind in the count, it gets predictive. When you have to throw strikes, they’re going to hit it.”