Like a 5-ton air conditioning unit, Vancleave pitcher MichaelCorso cooled off Brookhaven’s bats Thursday night on Moyer Field.Corso tossed a 4-hit shutout and the Bulldogs bagged a 3-0 triumphin the second round of the Class 4A state baseball playoffs.

Vancleave (18-10) hosts Game 2 of the best-of-three seriestonight, starting at 6 p.m. If a third game is necessary, it willbe played Saturday in Brookhaven at 1 p.m.

Corso, a 6-foot-1 senior southpaw, allowed only 4 singles innotching his fifth win in 7 outings. He struck out 9 Panthers anddidn’t issue a base on balls. The Faulkner (Ala.) State CommunityCollege signee, was supported by flawless defense, includingseveral outstanding plays by shortstop Anthony Izzio.

“Corso had a couple of tough outings lately but he came aroundfor us tonight,” said Vancleave coach Michael Henry. “He kept theball around the plate.”

Henry said he was impressed by BHS senior southpaw Paxton Kingwho gave up 6 hits, fanned 6 and walked 4. He allowed 1 earned runin his first loss of the season.

“The King kid did well, too,” said Henry who is in his ninthseason with the Vancleave baseball program, his fourth as headcoach. He is a Vancleave and Mississippi College graduate.

BHS coach Randy Spring saw his team’s 15-game victory streakhalted last night. The Division 6-4A champions fell to 24-7 withthe loss.

“Both pitchers pitched well enough to win,” said Spring. “Theirpitcher mixed it up and he threw curveballs for strikes.

“Vancleave is very sound defensively,” Spring continued. “Theymade the plays and we didn’t.”

Corso retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced. The Bulldogsscored an unearned run in the first inning and added 2 more runs inthe fourth.

With the bases loaded and 1 out in the fourth, Vancleave scoredits second run on a low throw to catcher Nick Peavey on a force athome plate. Another grounder made it 3-0.

“Their pitcher (Corso) was good and he made some good pitches,”said King. “We hit some balls hard but they made every play.”

BHS shortstop Bud Britt had 2 of his team’s 4 hits. On a warm,humid night, the Panthers failed to get a runner past secondbase.