31-run explosion in opener propels No. 19 EMCC Lions to home baseball DH sweep over Coahoma

SCOOBA – The 19^th-ranked Lions of East Mississippi Community College emphatically extended their conference winning streak to 10 consecutive games with a commanding home doubleheader MACJC baseball sweep over Coahoma Community College Wednesday evening at Gerald Poole Field.  After a 14-run first inning resulted in a 31-2 final in the opener, EMCC completed the run-ruled sweep with a 13-2 victory in the nightcap.

Early wildness by Coahoma starting pitcher Jon Haden Foster loaded the bases on walks in the opening frame of game one.  Following an infield error on Emil Ellis' batted ball that allowed the game's opening run to score and a subsequent infield pop out, Drew Standland's two-out, bases-clearing double opened the flood gates for the home team.  With 18 batters coming to the plate in the inning, 11 consecutive EMCC hitters would reach base after two outs with all but one of them coming around to score.

During the 14-run first frame, Standland and fellow sophomore middle infielder Kyle Liberto each had two doubles and combined for seven runs batted in between them.  Also highlighting the nine-hit inning were back-to-back home runs by David Pimentel and Chris McCullough, who went deep for the fourth and second times, respectively, on the season.       

While going through the batting order nearly five complete times in the first three frames of the scheduled nine-inning contest, the Lions continued their offensive explosion with nine additional runs on seven hits in the second and six more tallies on six hits in the third.  With Coahoma going through six pitchers in the contest, EMCC amassed 29 runs on 22 hits through the opening three frames.  During their six trips to the plate as a team, the Lions totaled 28 hits with 14 different players hitting safely, including 10 batters with multiple hits in the contest.  In addition, EMCC had nine extra-base hits in the opener with seven doubles accompanying the back-to-back homers.

Individually, Liberto went 4-for-4 in the opener with four runs batted in and two runs scored. The Hancock High School product added two more hits and three RBIs in the nightcap to finish with seven RBIs, three doubles and four runs scored on the evening.  Standland, from Oak Grove High School, was 3-for-3 in the opener with six RBIs and three runs scored, while Pimentel was also 3-for-3 with a two-run single to go along with this three-run homer.

As the benefactor of EMCC's generous run support in game one, sophomore left-hander J'Daylin Jackson easily improved to 6-0 on the season and 14-1 for his EMCC career by throwing the first three innings.  The all-state selection from Greenville's St. Joseph Catholic School gave up just one unearned run and three hits before giving way to relievers Layton Dill and KeWayne McCray to close out the opening contest.

The doubleheader sweep attempt started off slowly for the home team, as EMCC starting pitcher Taylor Stafford and the Lions had to rebound from a two-run, first-inning home run by Coahoma's Hudson Ross.  Taking advantage of two CCC fielding errors, a catcher's interference, two passed balls and a hit batsman, EMCC manufactured four runs in the bottom of the third on just one hit to take a 4-2 lead over the Tigers.

The Lions broke open the nightcap in the fourth with their first eight batters of the inning all reaching base safely.  Liberto had an RBI double plus a two-run single during the nine-run frame to complete his 6-for-6 doubleheader effort at the plate.  Pimentel, who also drove home seven runs on the night, capped his evening with a two-run single in the decisive fourth inning.

On the mound, Stafford settled down to earn his first collegiate victory in his second EMCC pitching start.  The former New Hope High School standout allowed the two runs on four hits while fanning seven and walking three pitching into the fifth.  Prep teammate JC Redden came in to strike out Ross for the final out.      

Winners of 10 consecutive MACJC games with five straight doubleheader sweeps to begin conference play dating back to March 7, head coach Chris Rose's 16-6 East Mississippi  Lions are scheduled to play host to Meridian Community College Tuesday (March 31) on the Scooba campus.  First pitch for Tuesday's twinbill is set for 4 p.m. at EMCC's Gerald Poole Field.