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PEARL — At the top of the seventh inning, with one out left to claim a Mississippi high school baseball championship, Saltillo pitcher William Goodson was forced off the mound.
Goodson reached his pitch limit, throwing 122 pitches, and the senior had a few tears drip down his face. The emotion wasn't about him getting taken out, but rather from a dominant performance in his final high school game.
Goodson carried a no-hitter after 6⅔ innings pitched, which was followed in relief by sophomore Lanston Kent, who threw three straight fastballs to strike out the final batter en route to Saltillo's 5-0, Game 3 win over Pearl River Central to capture the MHSAA 6A championship on May 21 at Trustmark Park.
"I mean, I couldn't ask for a better way to end this," he said. "I know I had to come out and (lead) us. Lanson Kent shoved it and got that last out. I mean, there's just so many emotions."
Pearl River Central (30-9) won Game 1, 12-11, on May 19 and lost to Saltillo, 3-1, on May 20.
"God is good, man," said Saltillo coach Eric Reynolds, while catching his emotions. "You graduated eight seniors last year, and then these guys have been working for three years. Some of them, this is their fourth year and first year to start."
The Tigers (31-7) defended their 2025 title and claimed their seventh overall championship.
"Some folks asked me in January what I thought (of this season), I said, 'I don't know we got a lot of growing, a lot of maturity, a lot of experience to gain between now and then,'" Reynolds said. "But by the second week of division play, we saw that we probably had a shot to make a run."
Goodson threw his first no-hitter on April 11 in a 10-0 win against Ripley. But he was in an area he hadn't been in this year, as Game 3 was his first appearance in the playoffs and only pitched 16 innings all year. With a near-complete game, Goodson was awarded series MVP.
MORE: How Mooreville baseball's dramatic late rally captured MHSAA 4A championship
With Goodson being their No. 3 starter, Saltillo didn't need to use him as they swept every one of their series leading up to Trustmark Park. But Reynolds said he had the most confidence in Goodson despite having weeks off from pitching.
"He started as our No. 3 guy, then he got some arm issues, which set him back for a little bit," Reynolds said. "We started working him back in there. Then you get to the backside of division play. The no-hitter against Ripley in his last start and a no-hitter today.
"We've just done everything that we can to keep him game ready between when the playoffs started until now, which has probably been five weeks since he's been on the mound."
Pearl River Central was led by Blake Gill and John Morreale, each of whom had three hits.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Saltillo wins MHSAA baseball state championship off combined no-hitter
Continue reading...
Goodson reached his pitch limit, throwing 122 pitches, and the senior had a few tears drip down his face. The emotion wasn't about him getting taken out, but rather from a dominant performance in his final high school game.
Goodson carried a no-hitter after 6⅔ innings pitched, which was followed in relief by sophomore Lanston Kent, who threw three straight fastballs to strike out the final batter en route to Saltillo's 5-0, Game 3 win over Pearl River Central to capture the MHSAA 6A championship on May 21 at Trustmark Park.
"I mean, I couldn't ask for a better way to end this," he said. "I know I had to come out and (lead) us. Lanson Kent shoved it and got that last out. I mean, there's just so many emotions."
Pearl River Central (30-9) won Game 1, 12-11, on May 19 and lost to Saltillo, 3-1, on May 20.
"God is good, man," said Saltillo coach Eric Reynolds, while catching his emotions. "You graduated eight seniors last year, and then these guys have been working for three years. Some of them, this is their fourth year and first year to start."
The Tigers (31-7) defended their 2025 title and claimed their seventh overall championship.
"Some folks asked me in January what I thought (of this season), I said, 'I don't know we got a lot of growing, a lot of maturity, a lot of experience to gain between now and then,'" Reynolds said. "But by the second week of division play, we saw that we probably had a shot to make a run."
Goodson threw his first no-hitter on April 11 in a 10-0 win against Ripley. But he was in an area he hadn't been in this year, as Game 3 was his first appearance in the playoffs and only pitched 16 innings all year. With a near-complete game, Goodson was awarded series MVP.
MORE: How Mooreville baseball's dramatic late rally captured MHSAA 4A championship
With Goodson being their No. 3 starter, Saltillo didn't need to use him as they swept every one of their series leading up to Trustmark Park. But Reynolds said he had the most confidence in Goodson despite having weeks off from pitching.
"He started as our No. 3 guy, then he got some arm issues, which set him back for a little bit," Reynolds said. "We started working him back in there. Then you get to the backside of division play. The no-hitter against Ripley in his last start and a no-hitter today.
"We've just done everything that we can to keep him game ready between when the playoffs started until now, which has probably been five weeks since he's been on the mound."
Pearl River Central was led by Blake Gill and John Morreale, each of whom had three hits.
Michael Chavez covers high school sports, among others, for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach out to him on X @MikeSChavez or Facebook at Michael Chavez.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Saltillo wins MHSAA baseball state championship off combined no-hitter
Continue reading...
