EMCC Lions salvage 12-2 run-rule win in Saturday’s nightcap of home weekend series vs. Dyersburg State

SCOOBA – The East Mississippi Community College baseball team salvaged a four-game weekend series against Tennessee-based Dyersburg State by claiming a 12-2 run-rule nightcap win during Saturday's home doubleheader played at EMCC's Gerald Poole Field.

After being limited to just two runs on nine total hits by the visiting Eagles during Friday's setbacks (4-1, 2-1), EMCC's bats began to warm up during Saturday's twin bill on the Scooba campus. During the rematch doubleheader, the Lions equaled their two-game total from the previous day with nine hits in Saturday's opening contest. They then followed with 10 more hits in the second game to earn a split on the day.

Rebounding from an 8-4 loss in Saturday's opener, the Lions reached base 22 times against four Dyersburg State pitchers during the nightcap victory. Along with getting 10 hits, EMCC batters were walked five times and were hit by seven pitches.

Jack Willis' two-run double in the opening frame began the second game's scoring, as the Lions went on to produce runs in all but one of the six innings, including four frames with multiple runs. 

Ty Wiggins capped his 2-for-4, four-RBI outing with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning that stretched the run-rule margin to 10 runs and gave the Lions their second run-rule win of the week. Earlier in the week, EMCC claimed a 12-1 nightcap victory at Hinds during Tuesday's round-robin, non-conference event played in Raymond.

Along with Willis and Wiggins getting two hits apiece and combining for seven RBIs between them during Saturday's win over Dyersburg State, Chris Newson, Jamie Muse Jr. and Colin Boyd each reached base four times in the contest. Newson had two singles and was walked and hit by a pitch. Muse hit a run-scoring double after getting hit by a pitch during each of his first three plate appearances. Boyd was hit by a pitch twice, walked and singled in five trips to the plate as EMCC's leadoff hitter.

In addition to EMCC's ability to reach base 22 times during Saturday's nightcap win over the Eagles, the Lions benefitted from a combined four-hit pitching effort by sophomore southpaw Elijah Young and freshman right-hander Smythe McCoy. Dyersburg State's lone runs of the game came on a pair of sacrifice flies in the third inning off Young. The West Point native picked up his first collegiate win after pitching the first three innings, while McCoy, out of Saltillo High School, struck out three batters over the final three frames to earn his first collegiate save. 

Head coach Brett Kimbrel's 4-12 EMCC Lions are scheduled to have another busy week of baseball action by participating in Wednesday's (Feb. 25) round-robin, non-conference event at East Central Community College before taking on Alabama-based Gadsden State in a home-and-home series on Thursday (Feb. 26) and Saturday (Feb. 28). EMCC is also slated to meet Meridian CC during mid-week action in Decatur prior to traveling to Gadsden for a Thursday road twin bill and then returning home for a Saturday doubleheader on the Scooba campus.