LSU commitment Konnor Griffin, Graham Busbea move Jackson Prep one win from MAIS baseball title
Graham Busbea hoped his shot to left field would continue to carry. The Jackson Prep senior turned on a fastball from Ole Miss signee Jackson Evers and the reaction from the Madison-Ridgeland Academy outfielders to sprint to the outfield wall was immediate.
Busbea's two-run home run — the seventh of his career — helped launch Jackson Prep to a 6-2 victory over Madison-Ridgeland Academy in Game 1 of the MAIS Class 6A championship on Tuesday.
"That's his spot over there," Jackson Prep coach Brett Heavener said. "That ball carries, gets that backspin and it takes off. I knew pretty quick it was gone. That's what you expect out of your seniors, to get big hits and big at-bats. He delivered when we needed it.
Jackson Prep (30-4) has won four-consecutive games against MRA and is one win away from the program's sixth straight MAIS title. LSU commitment Konnor Griffin had a complete game with seven hits with 11 strikeouts and two earned runs. Griffin — the No. 2 ranked player in the Class of 2024 — moved to 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA in 11 appearances. He had 107 pitches in the victory.
"I'm just trying to come out here and win it for these seniors," Griffin said. "We have a great bond. We came out had a lot of fun and came out with a win. I'm trying to compete my butt off. My last game. A state championship, I'm laying it all on the line and giving it my all."
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Busbea's home run gave Jackson Prep a 3-0 lead in the third inning, but it was underclassmen that helped extend the lead in the sixth. Sophomore Cole Gideon and freshman Kevin Roberts delivered with RBI singles to help balloon the Jackson Prep lead to 6-0 heading into the seven inning.
"Those guys have grown up fast this year and got some good guys around them," Heavener said. "We're not asking them to do a whole lot. We're asking them to get on base, help us score runs, have good at-bats and that's what happened tonight."
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Senior Kaleb Lipscomb put MRA on the board with a two-RBI triple in the top of the seventh, before Griffin ended any threat of a comeback in his final start of the season. Jackson Prep looks to clinch the state title at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Madison-Ridgeland Academy.
"It's going to be an honor for us if we do get it," Busbea said. "We all love each other. We're brothers, especially the seniors, we've been through a lot together. That COVID year canceling our ninth grade season. We've been through a lot."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: MAIS baseball: Konnor Griffin, Graham Busbea lead Jackson Prep closer to state title
