By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

For Billingsley and Isabella’s varsity baseball teams, this year’s playoff season will get started early as both squads need to win or go home.

A 6-4 win by the Mustangs on Wednesday afternoon forced a tie-breaking Game 3 that is scheduled for Friday.

The winner will be sent to the playoffs while the loser’s season comes to an abrupt end.

The Bears got on the board first in Wednesdays game as a two-out walk to Noah Godwin saw Godwin later score on a infield error by the Mustangs off the bat of Austin Harrell to give Billingsley an early 1-0 lead.

The Mustangs answered in the home half of the first inning with a solo home run by Tyler Durham to knot the game at 1-all.

With the Bears going quietly through the top of the second inning, the Mustangs added two more runs in the bottom half of the inning.

A lead off single by Ethan Wendall and a double by Jarrett Baker led to a two-run single by Kelan Mims and gave Isabella a 3-1 lead.

Drayton Dubose reached on a fielder’s choice that set up an RBI single by Jordan Thompson in the top of the third inning, and with the Mustangs going in order in the bottom half of the inning, the Mustangs held on to a 3-2 lead.

A Mustangs’ error on a ground ball by Walker Motley led to a sacrifice fly by Larry Starks while a two-out single by Kelan Mims and a walk to Ryan Headley did little to help the Mustangs following an inning closing strike out.

After four innings, the game was tied at 3-all.

The Bears broke the tie in the top of the fifth inning with a Dubose single that set up a sacrifice fly from Austin Harrell.

The Mustangs answered with a run of their own via a double by Dalton Smitherman that set up a RBI single by Jacob Davis to keep the game tied at four.

A three-up, three-down top of the sixth for Billingsley gave the Mustangs the lead behind two runs in the bottom half of the inning.

A walk to Baker and Headley being hit by a pitch gave Isabella two on with one out.

An RBI single by Micheal Mathis scored Baker, and with Headley scoring on a wild pitch, Isabella took a 6-4 lead.

Dubose started the top of the seventh by reaching on a Mustangs error, but a ground ball by Godwin forced the out at second.

Godwin reached second on a stolen base, but an infield ground ball and a fly ball to left brought the game to a close while forcing a deciding Game 3.

Mims led Isabella at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance with two singles and two RBIs.

Mathis got the start on the hill for the Mustangs and threw five innings with two earned runs, two walks, seven hits and one strikeout.

Eric Willis pitched six innings for the Bears allowing six earned runs on 10 hits and one walk while striking out nine.

Thompson led Billingsley at the plating going 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI.