GALLMAN – Scotty Reese and Trevor Blocker combined on a 5-hitterand the Copiah Academy Colonels sacked Brookhaven Academy 12-8Tuesday night in the MPSA Class AA state baseball playoffs. TheColonels (23-2) also got booming home runs from Hunter Renfroe andBlocker as they took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.

Brookhaven Academy (12-9) looks for redemption Thursday nightwhen the Cougars host Game 2. Action begins at 7 p.m.

Reese, a sidearm specialist and a Co-Lin scholarship signee,struck out 12 batters and walked 3 before Blocker closed the doorin the seventh, ending a 3-run Cougar rally. Blocker has adeceptive submarine delivery.

“We hit the ball well in the second and fourth innings,” saidCopiah coach Scooter Prince. His team scored 7 runs in the secondand 4 more in the fourth.

Prince said he was concerned about his team’s 7 errors. “We’vegot to cut out our errors, especially against Brookhaven, becausethey are well-coached.”

The Cougars took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first but theColonels regained control in the second and led 8-3. Starting BApitcher Jameson Wright (1 K, 0 BB) was replaced by Scottie Peavey(4 K, 4 BB) in the second inning with 1 out.

Reese collected 2 of his team’s 9 hits. Bryce Guess doubled.

“Copiah is a great hitting team,” said BA sixth-year coachStephen Cooksey. “The game was clean and both teams gave a greateffort. We just came up short.”

Cooksey has announced his resignation and is stepping down afterthe season is completed.

BA catcher Kolby Byrd, a Mississippi State signee, hit a seventhinning double to ignite the Cougars’ belated comeback. It was theonly extra base hit by the Cougars.

Shortstop Brent Henderson collected 2 hits for the Cougars.