The host Brookhaven Academy Cougars posted a 4-0 win over theCentral Hinds Cougars Wednesday night in the first round of theAcademy AA baseball playoffs. Brookhaven improved to 20-2 andCentral Hinds fell to 14-7.

Brookhaven, the District 4 champ, travels to Raymond to meetCentral Hinds, the No. 2 seed in District 3, tonight at 7 p.m. inthe second game of the best-of-three series. If a third game isnecessary, it will be played Friday night at Brookhaven at 7.

Senior Paul Davis (6-0) was the winning pitcher with 10 strikeouts,no walks and one hit batter. Nic Bethany fanned 3 batters, walkednone and hit one batter.

“Their pitcher did a great job with his off speed pitches,” saidBrookhaven Academy coach Stephen Cooksey. “Their team was reallypumped up for tonight. We had a lot of school support tonight andwere able to capitalize on a couple of big hits. Paul pitched agreat game tonight.”

In the first inning, Keith Franklin ripped a solo home run to putBrookhaven up 1-0.

Third-inning play saw Steven Covington hit by a pitch, took secondbase on a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Vanderslice and score on a CoreyDickerson single for a 2-0 lead.

In the sixth, T-Boy Lynch singled and Seth Davis smashed a two-runhome run for the 4-0 lead and win.

Brookhaven Academy hit the ball and we did not,” said Central Hindscoach Todd Montgomery. “We had opportunities but could not doanything. My pitcher pitched a good ball game. To get this far, wedid not play to our potential tonight. We must do bettertomorrow.”

Adding support with a double and a single were Paul Davis. SethDavis and Lynch added a single apiece.

For Central Hinds, Andrew Parrish singled twice and Bethany hitsafely.