Baseball | 5/7/2025 9:36:00 AM

The Clinton High School Baseball team's exciting playoff run was ended at the hands of the Tupelo Golden Wave on Monday night.

In the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 7A Playoffs, Clinton outhit Tupelo 13 to eight but stranded 12 runners on base to fall to the visitors, 7-4, in Game 2 at Arrow Field on the campus of CHS. The Arrows ended their season with a 21-9 overall record.

Tupelo rallied in the seventh inning with five runs on five hits for a 7-3 lead. Andrew Kieffer delivered the biggest blow with his two-run single.

The Arrows searched for a comeback in their half of the frame. Stone Crain was hit by a pitch, leading off the frame, and later scored on David Steelman's single. Aaric Beasley loaded the bases with a two-out walk, but South McCoy issued his third strikeout of the inning, retiring the go-ahead run at the plate and ending the game.

Ryan Saxton got Clinton on the board first when the first baseman doubled in the third. Parker Thames added another run with his double down the right field line. The Arrows led 2-0.

The Golden Wave answered in the top of the sixth, tying the game with Tyler Johnson's double and Johnson's tag-up.

A bases-loaded walk by Chad Bates gave the Arrows the lead, 3-2, in the sixth's bottom half.

NOTABLE STATS

• Tyrese Haggard started on the mound for the Arrows. The sophomore delivered an outstanding performance, surrendering one hit and zero runs over four and one-third innings. He issued two walks.
• Parker Thames had a solid night at the plate, tallying three hits. The senior outfielder collected a pair of doubles, drove in a run, and scored a run, as well.
• David Steelman had three hits -- all singles -- and drove in a run.
• Nine of the 10 Arrows who had an at-bat collected at least one hit against the Golden Wave.

AN AWESOME APRIL

Though the season was not extended into another postseason round, the Arrows could hold their heads a little higher after an impressive month of April.

Clinton almost did not make the playoffs, sitting in fifth place of the MHSAA Region 2-7A standings on April 1. However, a win over Madison Central on April 4 and another victory over Tupelo on April 8 punched the Arrows' ticket into the postseason. 

Then, the Arrows, who were the Region 2-7A fourth seed, upset the No. 1-seed Hernando Tigers with 9-7 and 11-5 decisions to advance to the second round.

Clinton captured wins in seven of their nine games during April. They outscored their opponents 64-38 during that stretch.