No. 19 EMCC Lions earn home baseball doubleheader split with Meridian but have 11-game win streak snapped
Eight strong innings from starting pitcher Andrew Crane and four home runs lifted 19th-ranked East Mississippi Community College to a 9-7 MACJC baseball victory in the first game of the Lions' Tuesday afternoon doubleheader split with rival Meridian Community College. The visiting Eagles came back to gain the split and snap EMCC's 11-game winning streak with an 8-7 triumph in the nightcap at Gerald Poole Field.
SCOOBA – Eight strong innings from starting pitcher Andrew Crane and four home runs lifted 19th-ranked East Mississippi Community College to a 9-7 MACJC baseball victory in the first game of the Lions' Tuesday afternoon doubleheader split with rival Meridian Community College. The visiting Eagles came back to gain the split and snap EMCC's 11-game winning streak with an 8-7 triumph in the nightcap at Gerald Poole Field.
The home-standing Lions gained the early advantage in the opening game on Chris McCullough's three-run homer – his third of the season – off MCC starting pitcher Bryant Johnston in the bottom of the first. After the Eagles plated a run in the second, EMCC freshman Taylor Stafford, of New Hope, belted his first of two homers in the contest – a two-out, two-run blast – to make it 5-1 after three innings.
As part of his 4-for-4 outing at the plate, McCullough, a Columbus High School product, drove home his fourth and fifth runs of the contest with a two-out single in the fourth. An inning later, Stafford's lead-off solo shot, his third of the season, extended the Lions' lead to 8-1.
After Meridian cut the deficit to 8-3 on Jaylon Keys' two-run home run off Crane in the eighth inning, the Lions got one of those runs back in the bottom half of the frame on JoVaughn McNabb's second homer of the year and EMCC's fourth long ball of the game.
The Eagles proceeded to make things interesting during their final at-bat of the scheduled nine-inning contest. After Crane left the game two batters into the final frame, a sacrifice fly from Dalton Thomas followed by Goose Yates' three-run blast off reliever Jake Bracewell trimmed the margin to 9-7 with one out.
EMCC freshman right-hander Jay Booth, from Florence, entered the contest and struck out Keys and Andrew Crook to secure his second save of the season and nail down Crane's third win in four decisions on the year.
Crane, a sophomore right-hander, also improved to 9-2 in his EMCC career with the victory. The Pascagoula native struck out five and walked four while allowing five runs on seven hits in the winning effort.
Along with McCullough and Stafford highlighting the Lions' 14-hit attack in the opener, McNabb was 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. From Hattiesburg, McNabb added two more hits in the second game to lead EMCC.
The Lions again took the early lead in the scheduled seven-inning nightcap by plating a pair of runs in the opening frame on McCullough's RBI groundout and courtesy runner Malik Mayweather subsequently scoring on a wild pitch.
The visitors responded by reaching EMCC starting pitcher Zach Irwin for six runs on nine hits over the next three innings. Leading the way offensively for Meridian, Dustin Smith followed his second-inning, two-run homer with a two-out, two-run double the next frame. Thomas' two-out RBI single in the fourth and Crook's solo blast an inning later put the Eagles in front by a 7-2 score.
The Lions finally got to MCC starting pitcher Austin Harrison in the sixth by having their first five batters all reach base safely. David Pimentel and McCullough began the comeback with back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning. After Emil Ellis reached safely on a dropped third strike, Stafford and Drew Standland followed with consecutive run-producing singles to pull EMCC to within a run. The Lions then took advantage of a pair of wild pitches to knot score at 7-7 on Kyle Liberto's sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless seventh sent the nightcap into an extra inning, Meridian's Matt Berler led off the eighth with a single off EMCC closer Ryan Rigby. Following a hit batsman, sacrifice bunt and an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, Yates produced the go-ahead run on an infield chopper to second base. MCC's Colby Shaw set down the home team in order in the bottom half of the frame to hand the Lions their first conference loss of the campaign.
Coach Chris Rose's East Mississippi Lions, now 17-7 overall and 11-1 in MACJC play, hit the road for a Good Friday doubleheader against the Warriors of East Central Community College. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. in Decatur.