A Game for the Ages
Starkville Academy made history on Saturday, securing the 4A, Division III baseball state championship in a 5-3 victory over Brookhaven Academy. The win marked the Volunteers' first title in school history, capping a season of steady improvement.
The Volunteers drew first blood in the opening inning when Lawson Mullins sent a fly ball that placed him on second, and Brennan Templeton capitalized with a run that put Starkville ahead early.
Brookhaven answered in the second, tying the game with a run from Caleb Authement, but the Volunteers responded in the third. Brody Burkley advanced runners, setting the stage for Joseph Portera’s decisive hit that drove in Brantley Bernery, giving Starkville a 3-2 lead.
The momentum shifted again in the seventh when Case Simmons launched a ball to right field, allowing Cohen Boyd to cross the plate and extend the lead to 5-3. The rally was sealed by Micah Buckner’s pitching, who shut down the opposition in the final innings to preserve the win.