EMCC Lions drop pair of one-run, walk-off baseball decisions at Northwest Mississippi

SENATOBIA – The visiting Lions of East Mississippi Community College dropped a pair of one-run, walk-off decisions to Northwest Mississippi Community College Tuesday afternoon, as the home-standing Rangers prevailed 5-4 in nine innings before rallying from a 12-1 deficit in the nightcap to complete the sweep 13-12 in MACJC North Division baseball action played at Ranger Field.

Pairing EMCC pitching ace Smokey Ethridge and Northwest left-hander Domenick Carlini, the opening game featured three ties through the regulation seven innings before NWCC's Jay King smacked a one-out, game-winning home run off Lion closer Brock McKnight in the bottom of the ninth.

The Lions appeared to have rebounded in convincing fashion during the nightcap with 13 hits, including three home runs, and a dozen runs through six innings.  However, EMCC's seemingly insurmountable 12-1 margin took a big hit in the bottom of the sixth with the Rangers scoring eight times on seven hits, including four doubles.  With the Lions using five different pitchers over the final two innings, it came down to a two-out, bases-loaded double from Kramer Hollenbach off second baseman-turned-reliever Philip Tice to complete Northwest's improbable comeback in the bottom of the seventh.

In the opener, the visitors jumped out to an early 2-0 lead courtesy of an unearned run in the first and Fredrico Moody's second home run of the year an inning later.  After the Rangers tied the game for the first time on James Lear's two-out, two-run single in the fourth inning, the two teams traded solo runs in the fifth to make it 3-all.

Northwest's initial lead in the opener came on Taylor King's lead-off solo blast off Ethridge in the sixth.  The game's third deadlock soon followed as EMCC's Tice knotted the score at 4 by smacking his first collegiate home run off Carlini to open the seventh inning. 

Both teams had their chances to either win the game or move ahead in their subsequent at-bats.  In the bottom of the seventh, the Rangers managed to get a pair of runners in scoring position by virtue of walks and stolen bases.  However, McKnight enticed a one-out pop out followed by a line drive out to short to end the threat and move the contest into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth with Carlini still on the mound for the home team, EMCC's Austin Braddock coaxed a lead-off walk and was bunted over to second by Colton Caver.  A single by Tyler Odom then put runners at the corners with only one out.  That potential rally was quickly thwarted when Odom was picked off first and Braddock was subsequently thrown out at home attempting to score during the rundown between first and second.

Odom, who started on the hill for the Lions in the nightcap, rebounded nicely by proving to be a dual threat in game two.  The former Oak Grove High School standout immediately put EMCC on the offensive by belting a grand slam – his fourth homer of the year – off Northwest starter Cody Waddell.  Along with adding a two-run double in the sixth to cap a 3-for-4, 6-RBI outing at the plate, Odom pitched effectively during his four-inning stint, allowing just a third-inning solo home run to Dylan Castoria and scattering three other singles before being relieved after the fourth inning with an 8-1 lead.

After the visitors scored three unearned runs in the second and added a solo tally an inning later on Brad Swede's first collegiate home run, the Lions extended the margin to 12-1 in the sixth on Odom's two-run double followed by LeDarious Clark's fifth homer of the year.        

Offensively, the Lions more than doubled their hit total from the opening game with 13 hits in the nightcap.  Odom and Caver led the way with three hits apiece in the second game, while Clark and Tice added two each.  Clark, a former all-state selection at Southeast Lauderdale High School, also had a two-run single to give him four RBIs in the nightcap.

After out-hitting EMCC 13-6 in the opener, nine of Northwest's 13 hits in game two came during the final two innings.  The Rangers improved to 26-13 overall and concluded the regular season with a 17-7 division mark heading into the upcoming MACJC State Playoffs.       

Coach Chris Rose's EMCC Lions, now 19-23 overall and 9-13 within the division, must win both games at Coahoma on Saturday, while also relying on visiting Holmes (18-24, 8-14) to sweep at Itawamba (21-21, 11-11), in order to force a one-game tiebreaker between EMCC and ICC to decide the fourth and final divisional playoff spot.