EMCC Lions eliminated from baseball playoff contention after doubleheader setback at Southwest
East Mississippi Community College’s run of three consecutive baseball postseason playoff appearances came to an end by dropping 10-4 and 4-3 decisions at Southwest Mississippi during Saturday’s MACCC doubleheader played in Summit.
SUMMIT – East Mississippi Community College's run of three consecutive baseball postseason playoff appearances came to an end by dropping 10-4 and 4-3 decisions at Southwest Mississippi during Saturday's MACCC doubleheader played in Summit.
Head coach Brett Kimbrel's EMCC Lions (22-24, 9-17 MACCC) are scheduled to close out their regular season by playing host to the Holmes Bulldogs on Tuesday (April 29) on the Scooba campus. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. at EMCC's Gerald Poole Field.
Saturday's doubleheader at Southwest got started on a positive note for the Lions as they staked starting pitcher Chipper Moore to an early lead by scoring three runs on five hits during the third inning. An RBI double by Hugh LeMasters followed by Miles Mitchell's run-scoring single capped the inning for the visitors.
EMCC's Moore was effective early in facing just one Southwest batter over the minimum through the first four frames of the scheduled nine-inning opener. The home-standing Bears flipped the momentum by batting around to produce seven runs in the fifth inning. After Jake Meilstrup's bases-clearing double chased Moore, EMCC reliever Sam Malone was greeted with a two-run homer by Justin Domiano.
Southwest added a solo run in the seventh inning and scored two more times the following frame to move ahead 10-3 after eight innings. EMCC plated a run in the ninth to close out the game's scoring.
The Lions' 10-hit team effort in the opening contest was led by Mitchell, Sam McClinton and Caiden Chain with two hits apiece.
After the Bears pushed across a first-inning run off EMCC starting pitcher Trace Tingle to begin the scheduled seven-inning nightcap, the Lions moved ahead 2-1 the next frame on Jayson Smith Jr.'s first collegiate home run with Josh King aboard off Southwest starter Brodey Walker.
The visitors increased their lead to 3-1 the following inning when McClinton led off the third with a single and stole his third base of the game before being bunted over to third and then scoring on a wild pitch.
Southwest continued to manufacture runs with a run in the fourth inning and two more scores the next frame to reclaim the lead at 4-3. In the fifth, Trace Roy was hit by a pitch before advancing to second on a mishandled errant pitch and then moving up two bases to score on a subsequent wild pitch. The following inning, the Bears benefitted from three stolen bases while taking advantage of a pair of EMCC miscues to produce two more runs.
The Lions had their chances during the latter stages of the nightcap to either tie the game or take back the lead. After leaving two runners in scoring position following Luke Sides' leadoff double in the fifth, the visitors stranded the bases loaded a frame later. In the top of the seventh still needing a run to stay in the game, the Lions opened the inning drawing consecutive bases on balls. Later in the frame with two more EMCC baserunners in scoring position, Southwest closer Jackson Hawsey entered the one-run contest and proceeded to get the game's final out on a foul pop-up behind home plate.
Sides accounted for half of EMCC's four total hits in the second game with a 2-for-3 effort at the plate.