Terry head coach Jerry Gibson was looking for a pitcher tobolster his staff so he promoted shortstop Van Pope to the moundwhen the Bulldogs began defense of last year’s Division 6-4Achampionship. Pope responded with another stellar mound performanceSaturday afternoon on Moyer Field, pitching a 6-hit, 2-1 triumphover the Brookhaven Panthers in a division showdown.

Pope (7-0), a hard-throwing junior right-hander, struck out 5batters and walked 1 as the Bulldogs (24-3, 13-1) clinched thedivision championship. Brookhaven (18-6, 11-3) left the tying runon second base in the bottom of the seventh as Pope worked his wayout of a jam.

Terry hosts Division 7-4A runner-up Picayune Thursday for theopening round of a best-of-three state playoff series. Brookhaventravels to Oak Grove, the Division 7 champion, Thursday. ThePanthers host Oak Grove Friday night on Moyer Field.

Gibson is in his ninth year coaching at Terry, whichconsolidated with Byram a few years ago. He has won the divisiontitle three of the last four seasons. Brookhaven won it in1999.

“We needed another pitcher this year and I knew Pope had a goodarm,” said Gibson. “He pitches well and he’s quick.

“Brookhaven has a good team,” Gibson pointed out. “We have astrong baseball program.”

Pitcher James McCall (6-1) absorbed his first loss of theseason. He allowed 7 hits, struck out 7 and did not issue a base onballs.

“McCall pitched a great game,” said Brookhaven head coach RandySpring. “It was his best throwing so far. He pitched too good toget beat.”

Terry was able to plate single runs in the third and sixthinnings. Spring said misplayed balls in the outfield allowed theBulldogs to advance farther along the bases than anticipated.

“We misplayed two balls in the outfield and (Terry) scoredtwice,” said Spring. “We didn’t do the little things right.”

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the third. Corey Ezell hit a2-out single to center field. Pope followed with a triple in thegap between right and center and the ball rolled all the way to thebase of the outfield fence, allowing Ezell to score.

Brookhaven gained a 1-1 deadlock in the fifth. Fred Perkins usedhis speed to beat out a bunt. He stole second and scored whendesignated hitter Kern Hoff slapped a double to left centerfield.

Terry responded in the top of the sixth and regained the lead. Asingle to left field by Chris Snell was misplayed and resulted in ashort double for the first baseman. William Evans singled overshortstop Cayce Wallace’s outstretched glove and Snell scored thego-ahead run.

The Panthers left two runners on base in the sixth. AaronOberschmidt reached on a fielder’s choice and Miguel Banks followedwith an opposite field single to right. Ben Goza was called out ona close play at first base which drew a heated debate betweenSpring and infield umpire Nolon Bowman.

“It was a bang-bang play,” said Spring. “I thought he was safebut that play didn’t beat us.”

Hoff had the only extra base hit for the Panthers. Perkinssingled twice. In the third frame, Wallace accounted forBrookhaven’s first hit on a sharp single past the shortstop. He wasthrown out trying to steal second.

@Linescore:TERRY 2, BROOKHAVEN 1

Terry

001

001

0 –

2

7

0

Brookhaven

000

010

0 –

1

6

1

@Bbstandings: Van Pope and William Evans. James McCall and AaronOberschmidt. WP: Pope (7-0). LP:McCall (6-1). 3B: Pope (T). 2B: Snell (T), Hoff (B).Multiple hits: Ezell (T) 2, Evans (T) 2, Perkins (B)2.