On a hot, cloudless Saturday afternoon, the host BrookhavenBandits and the Poplarville RiverCats kicked off the first doubleheader of the 2003 season of Cotton League Baseball.

Poplarville won the opener against Brookhaven 11-1 and theBandits came back to take the second contest 6-3 over theRiverCats.

Brookhaven travels to Mississippi College to meet the ClintonLumberjacks Sunday afternoon. The first game of the doubleheadergets underway at 1:30 p.m.

“We have to make the plays,” said Bandits head coach Pete Youngfollowing the first game. “It’s our field. We need to make theplays and be aggressive.”

Poplarville 11, Brookhaven 1

Posting the victory for the RiverCats was left-hander ZachButler with 1 run allowed on 2 hits, 3 strikeouts and 1 walk.Losing hurler Cass Brister, who threw 111 pitches, allowed 9 runson 9 hits, 6 strikeouts and 4 walks in five innings. Working thefinal 2 innings was Ryan Williams with 2 runs allowed on 2hits.

Brookhaven centerfielder Chase Coley and third baseman JodyBritt singled. Williams scored the Bandits’ only run in the bottomof the first inning.

Powering Poplarville with 3 singles was centerfielder MattRiser. Ripping a double and a single was first baseman HunterBeasley. Third baseman Thomas Royals singled twice. Doubling wasleft fielder Justin Archer. Hitting safely were Chris Romans,Richard Inhoff and Rhyne Hughes.

Brookhaven 6, Poplarville 3

Brookhaven took an early 3-1 lead over Poplarville in the secondgame. The Bandits went up 4-1 in the bottom of the fourth and 6-3in the fifth.

Recording the win was Jay Foster with 1 strikeout and 4 walks infour innings. Reliever John Birdsong finished the final 2 with 4strikeouts and 1 hit allowed. Chris Rodriguez absorbed the losswith 3 strikeouts. Working the last 2 innings was Slay Stewart.

The final 2 runs scored by Brookhaven came on a 2-run home runby Michael Clements. Clements also singled with Williams and JustinSykes and Coley.