PEARL, The Tigers got everything they needed in the bottom of the second inning, a no-hit gem from W. Goodson on the bump, and a defense that didn't blink once. Saltillo beat Pearl River Central 5–0 on Thursday at Trustmark Park to take Game 3 of the MHSAA Class 6A Baseball Championship Series and bring the state title back to north Mississippi.
Goodson was untouchable. Six and two-thirds hitless innings, five walks, five strikeouts, 122 pitches. He left with two outs in the seventh and L. Kent came on to end it the only way he could, a strikeout to set off the dogpile on the infield. The Blue Devils never got a hit. Zero in the H column. Two errors. Six left on, none past second.
The offense did its damage in two innings. Three in the second flipped the game before it could become one. C. Childs put one in the gap for a two-RBI double, and the bottom of the order kept the line moving. The Tigers added two more in the sixth, with E. Rogers and M. McKissick each driving in a run and M. Arriola tacking on the fifth.
Childs led Saltillo with two hits and two RBIs. L. Darsey added a hit and stole two bases. T. Phillips, L. Heisel, Rogers, McKissick, and Arriola all chipped in singles. Saltillo finished with eight hits and no errors.
C. Bounds took the loss for Pearl River Central, allowing five runs (three earned) on eight hits over five innings. B. Duhon worked a scoreless sixth in relief. T. Cipriano stole a base and was one of five Blue Devils to draw a walk against Goodson, but the bats never came around.
State champions. 6A. The flag goes home to Saltillo.
See the full photo gallery from Game 3 at Trustmark Park at misshsaa.smugmug.com/2026/Baseball/Saltillo-Pearl-River-Central-Game-3.
Photo by Keith Warren / MHSAA.
