PEARL, Miss.—After falling behind early, Piedmont rallied and took control in the middle innings to advance to the semifinals.

Layne Ayers settled in, and the lineup roared to life late to propel the Lions further into the tournament.

Huntingdon got on the board early due to early errors by the Piedmont defense and Huntingdon starter Charlie Morgan, went to work with a 2-0 lead and for the first three innings kept the Lions off the board.

After a shaky first inning, Ayers settled in nicely and battled through a tough Hawk lineup, keeping them off balance.

In the fourth, the Piedmont lineup struck its first blow. A one-out single by Cole Ellis got the rally started for the Lions. Another single put Cruz Mullinix in prime position to bring home a pair of runs. After a long at-bat, Mullinix grounded the ball and reached on a fielder's choice while Ellis was tagged out between third and home. Despite the out, Ellis' tactics allowed Carter Few to advance into scoring position. With runners on the corners, Jack Ryan muscled a ball into the outfield to bring home the Lions' first run of the game. With the momentum squarely in Piedmont's corner, Davin Miller reached via a hit by pitch, loading the bases for Ben Bodoh. Bodoh put the ball in play, and the Hawks made a costly error that allowed Mullinix to score, tying the game at two. With the play still active, the Hawks committed another error that put another run on the board for the Lions, giving them the lead. Still threatening, John Dickerson lined a ball up the middle for an RBI single to now put the Lions ahead 4-2.

With the lead in his corner, Ayers went back to work, retiring the side while picking up a strikeout in the fifth. 

In the sixth, the Hawks rallied again, taking advantage of a leadoff single and a walk that followed. After a stressful load on the mound, Ayers was relieved in favor of Harris Bryson, who entered with two on and no one out. After picking up a strike out, Bryson allowed his inherited runner to score but locked down the inning from there.

Ayers finished his day with seven strikeouts and just one earned run to his ledger.

The bottom of the inning saw Piedmont add another run to its lead with a Bodoh RBI single.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, the Lions lineup faced the Hawks bullpen for the first time on the day.

Ben Connelly reached on a one-out walk followed by an Ellis single. Few tested the Hawks' defense with a bunt, and Huntingdon could not manage. Few reached on the bunt, but a loose ball in the infield led to Connelly streaking around to score from second. From there, Piedmont broke the game open, scoring three more runs to gain a 9-3 lead.

Averett Thompson came on out of the bullpen for the Lions and set down the Hawks in the eighth and stayed out for the ninth.

Down to its final out, Huntingdon reached on three straight singles, scoring a run and bringing the lead back to 9-4.

Thompson, however, did not dwell and collected the final out via a strikeout looking, sending the Lions to the semifinals.

Next, the Lions prepare for semifinal action on Sunday. Piedmont will play in the 2:00 p.m. slot against either LaGrange or Maryville.

Turning Point:
- The Lions' four-run seventh inning that left no doubt for the remainder of the contest.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
- Few had a three-hit day, boosting the Lions offense with an RBI and two runs scored.
- Ellis had another solid performance with a pair of hits and starting both Piedmont rallies.
- Despite completing just five innings, Ayers battled against a strong lineup and collected seven strikeouts on the day.
- Bodoh brought home a pair of runs, aiding the Lions in the winning effort.

HOW TO FOLLOW:
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