Baseball | 2/21/2026 9:32:00 AM

CLINTON -- The Clinton High School Baseball team utilized steady pitching and a seventh-inning rally to secure a 6-5 victory over the Petal Panthers in the Mid-Mississippi Classic Friday night at Arrow Baseball Field.

The Arrows (2-1) found themselves in a tight bout throughout the night, trading punches with Petal before saving their best swing for last.

In the bottom of the seventh, Brayden Johnson worked a leadoff walk to spark the rally. Johnson moved to third when David Steelman delivered a one-out single to put two runners on base.

With the count in his favor 2-0, Ethan Dodson delivered the decisive single, driving home the winning run and igniting a jubilant celebration. The Clinton dugout emptied instantly as teammates chased Dodson into right field for a dog pile under the strobe lights.

The clutch hit capped off a composed effort on the mound as the Arrows' pitching staff built more early-season momentum.

Drew McGahey drew the start and worked 2 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on three hits while striking out three. After Petal grabbed early momentum, Walker Jackson entered and worked the Arrows out of a jam in the third inning. The right-hander then settled in to deliver two innings of two-hit baseball, blanking the Panthers in the process.

Jake Bell followed with 1 1/3 innings of relief, limiting Petal to one run on two hits.

The defining pitching moment came in the top of the seventh. With the game tied and the bases loaded, Gage Temple delivered under pressure with the game tied 5-5. The junior recorded three crucial outs -- two fly balls and a strikeout -- to strand all three runners and preserve the deadlock heading into the final frame.

Clinton erupted for four runs to take a 5-4 advantage in the third. Dodson ignited the frame with a single down the left field line, while Parker Barron followed with a base hit of his own. Petal then committed a costly error that allowed another run to cross, and Ryan Saxton added to the surge with an RBI groundout -- each sequence plating one run as the Arrows flipped the scoreboard in their favor.

CLINTON TOP OFFENSIVE STATS
 

• David Steelman 2-for-3, 2 runs, walk
• Ethan Dodson 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 1 run
• Parker Barron 2-for-3, 2 RBI 1 run