On paper, Enterprise (20-11) came in as the favorites in their MHSAA 1A second round series with Salem (8-14).

In game two on Thursday, the Yellow Jackets and coach Austin Hood showed they were the better team in a 13-1 win that was moved up a day to beat the forecasted rain for this weekend.

The Yellow Jackets now wait to see if they’ll face Resurrection Catholic or Sebastopol next week in the quarterfinals. Resurrection of Pascagoula holds a 1-0 lead in that series.

On Tuesday, the Yellow Jackets won game one in the bottom of the eighth inning when senior Payne Waldrop hit a triple that scored the game-winning run in a 6-5 EAC victory.

On Thursday, Enterprise scored three runs in the third, four runs in the fourth, and six runs in the sixth inning.

Hood’s team outhit the Walthall County Wildcats of Salem 11-6.

Freshman Kelly Burgess and sophomore Nick Harris had a double each for the Jackets at the plate.

Freshman Ryder Martin pitched 5.1 innings and struck out nine to lead Enterprise on the mound. Martin walked two, scattered six hits and walked two.

Eighth grader Haygan Floyd drove in two runs and freshman AJ Raiford had two RBIs as well.

The 20-win mark hit by Enterprise on Thursday is the first time for the school to win that many games in a season in recent memory.

The 2019 team that had Mississippi State pitcher Landon Gartman as the staff ace finished 15-9-1 and was knocked out by Taylorsville in a three-game MHSAA 2A playoff series.