SPRINGVILLE – Kossuth opened its series with big hits, then it clinched it in Game 2 by keeping South Pontotoc from getting any of its own.

David Gibson, who knocked a home run on Friday, tossed a complete game on Saturday and held the Cougars to three hits as the Aggies competed their sweep of their MHSAA Class 3A baseball quarterfinals with a 7-0 win at Cougar Field.

Kossuth advances to face the winner of the Alcorn Central-Belmont series in the North championship on Thursday.

Gibson, a 6-foot-2 senior who played tight end for Kossuth’s football squad, struck out four and limited South Pontotoc, the No. 2 seed from Division 2-3A, to three singles.

“We’ve really picked it up now that it’s playoff time,” said Gibson, who improved to 7-1. “We’ve been hitting the ball, playing good defense and getting solid pitching. It’s been a good year for us.”

On Saturday, South Pontotoc (18-14), threatened in the fourth, when Kolton Ferguson was hit by a pitch and Jonathan Duncan singled. But Gibson induced a fielder’s choice by Peyton Belk and forced a fly out by Jonathan McKnight to end the inning. The big right-hander retired eight of the next 10 batters to complete the outing. “It was pitching and good defense for us,” said Kossuth coach Daniel Threadgill.

“Gibson is one of our studs on the mound. They put the ball in play and he didn’t have a lot of strike outs, but he kept them to soft contact and we played good defense behind him."

Kossuth (22-6) sealed the match with four runs in the fifth. Wilcher scored on a fielder’s choice by Tyler Nelms, Jacob Meeks came in on a base hit by Blake Nethery, and Jordan Brawner scored two more on a single to center. Sophomore lefty Belk (6-3) took the loss for South Pontotoc.