Sometimes in baseball, you know a game is over not long after the final note of the national anthem rings out.

That was the case Monday as Brookhaven Academy scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning and four more runs in the second inning on the way to a 14-1 win over Bowling Green School.

BA junior lefthander Judson Griffin made quick work of the BGS hitters as he allowed zero hits on 81 pitches over five innings. Griffin struck out 11 and walked four and stayed ahead of the count all night as he threw 13 first pitch strikes to the 19 batters he faced.

“Judson is really competing in the zone with two of his pitches this season and he’s been sharp with everything so far,” said Upton. “His breaking ball is his “out” pitch, but he’s probably gotten just as many swings and misses this year with his fastball.”

The teams will play again on Friday for a doubleheader that’s scheduled to start at Bowling Green in Franklinton, Louisiana at 4:30 p.m.

The home-win Monday at Williams-Gillis Ballpark moves BA to 10-4 on the season.

Griffin drew a walk as the leadoff batter to start the BA half of the first inning and scored the first run of the game later on a wild pitch.

A two-out triple by junior Easton Boyte got the Cougar offense rolling as he sent two base-runners home on the hit. Boyte and Caston Thompson also scored in the inning via miscues from the BSG catcher-pitcher exchange.

BA needed just seven hits to plate its 14 runs. Bowling Green committed three errors, handed out nine walks and hit three batters.

The pitching depth for Upton’s team has been one of its greatest strengths thus far in 2022.

Judson Griffin, sophomore Avery Griffin and Thompson — a senior southpaw that’s signed with Pearl River CC — are the top three arms in the rotation for BA.

Thompson struck out 13 earlier this season in a win over Adams County Christian School while Judson Griffin struck out 10 against both Parklane Academy and Copiah Academy already this season.

“Those three guys have worked their tails off,” said Upton. “They’ve put in a lot of work in the offseason and I couldn’t be prouder of how they’ve performed this year on the mound.”

Senior left hander Michael Watts and Boyte are two other top arms for the Cougars. Senior Tyler Fortenberry and sophomore Noah Gatlin have all also seen action as well on the hill for the Cougars.

The losses this season for BA were to 6A Hartfield Academy (7-3) and 6A Jackson Academy (7-4) along with defeats to two schools (Parklane Academy and Simpson Academy) that the Cougars split a pair of games with.

Thompson and Trevor Fortenberry each doubled for BA in the win on Monday. Boyte drove in four runs while Thompson and Gatlin had one RBI each.

Thompson, Tyler Fortenberry, Watts and catcher Trenton Tarver — a Co-Lin baseball signee — make up the senior class for the Cougars.

Juniors on the team are Trevor Fortenberry, Judson Griffin, and Boyte. The sophomore class is made up of Avery Griffin, Gatlin, Samuel Evans, Jaden Lea and Sam Stevens.

Freshmen on the team include Judson Callendar, Asher Havard, Kaleb Bullock, Matthew Newman, Carter Case, Will Thomas Calcote, Nathan Poole, and Braden Revere. Caleb Authement is the lone eighth grader on the team.

BA, Bowling Green, Columbia Academy, Oak Forest Academy and Silliman Institute make up the schools in District 4-5A.

Last season the Cougars won their old division and swept St. Al in the opening round before dropping a second round series to Simpson Academy in three games.

Brookhaven Academy is back at home on Friday, March 25 for a division doubleheader against Columbia Academy that begins at 4 p.m.