DE KALB — No. 2 ranked Deer Creek led only once in the first game of its MAIS state quarterfinal playoff series Tuesday afternoon. But the visiting Warriors did so when it counted most.

    In a crazy, seesaw affair which was tied three times, Deer Creek got a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the top of the eighth inning to beat Kemper Academy 5-4.

    The win lifted the Warriors to 17-2 on the season. The Rams, who fell to 7-7, will now go to Deer Creek Thursday needing a pair of wins to keep their season alive. Game 2 is set to begin at 2 p.m.

    Kemper, the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools District 2-A runnerup, made a couple of costly errors and issued nine walks. But the Rams still held leads of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before Deer Creek rallied for the win.

    “We had all the opportunities in the world to put the game away and get a win,” Kemper coach Tommy Luke said. “I guess (Deer Creek) had just as many, and they finally took advantage of enough of them.”

    A hit batsman, a base hit and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the eighth inning. Bailey Luke, the third KA pitcher, came on to strike out a pair of Warriors — but not before a sacrifice fly which wound up being the game-winner. Carter Franks’ fly ball was sandwiched between the Ks, and was plenty deep enough to score Drew Rexrode from third and produce the eventual winning run.

    In the bottom of the eighth, Rexrode — who started and threw all eight frames — struck out the side in order to nail down the victory and improve to 8-1.

    “I thought he was getting tired around the fifth or sixth inning, but it looked like he got stronger in those last two,” Luke said of Rexrode, who retired the final eight batters he faced. He gave up six hits and four walks, but struck out 12.

    Trent Lightner was charged with the loss after throwing three innings and giving up three runs in relief. Josh Mitchell started, striking out five but walking seven through four frames.

    Mitchell’s deep fly ball was misplayed into a two-out double in the bottom of the first, scoring Chase Cawthron and Luke to put Kemper up 2-0.

    It stayed that way until the fourth, when Rexdale plated Cole Walker and Phillip Fontone — who had singled and doubled — with a one-out base knock to make it 2-2.

    Lightner singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Luke in the home half of the fifth; only to see Deer Creek answer in the top of the sixth when Hart Manus plated Fontone with a one-out RBI single to tie it 3-3.

    In the bottom of the sixth, Tanner Owen was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a hit by Lightner; but Chandler Shaw led off the seventh with a solo home run to tie it 4-4 and send the game into extra innings.

    Rexdale had two hits and two RBIs to lead Deer Creek, which stranded 14 baserunners in the game.

    Lightner had two of KA’s six hits.