EMCC Lions conclude baseball season on winning note with road sweep over Coahoma

CLARKSDALE – The Lions of East Mississippi Community College successfully closed out their 2013 baseball season by sweeping Coahoma Community College, 9-5 and 13-3, on the road Monday afternoon in MACJC North Division action.

Under the guidance of third-year head coach Chris Rose, the EMCC Lions concluded their campaign with a 21-23 overall record and 11-13 division mark to finish two games behind fourth-place Itawamba Community College in the standings.

Postponed two days because of weekend rain throughout the state, Monday's twinbill got off to a somewhat shaky start for the visitors with the Tigers scoring four runs off EMCC starter Corbin Johnson in the first inning of game one.  After trading solo tallies in the second, the Lions knotted the score at 5-all with four runs on four hits in the third, highlighted by run-scoring doubles from Trent Waddell and Fredrico Moody.

As Lion relievers Blake Thomas and Conner Burton jointly held Coahoma to just one run on four hits over the final six innings, EMCC methodically pulled ahead by plating the go-ahead run in the fourth, followed by two more scores in the fifth and another tally in the seventh to account for the 9-5 outcome.

Waddell, from Tuscaloosa's Northridge High School, led EMCC's 12-hit team effort with three hits in the opener, including his two-run double in the third.  Moody, Tyler Odom and Philip Tice all added two hits apiece.

On the mound, Thomas, of West Lauderdale High School, secured his second win of the year by allowing just one run and three singles in three innings of middle relief work.  Burton, from East Webster High School, threw the final three scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, to notch his first collegiate save.

In the nightcap, 10 different Lion batters contributed to the team's 14-hit attack, including four players with two hits each. 

Following a three-run second inning, EMCC extended its lead to 8-0 a frame later by batting around to score five times on seven hits.  In the midst of the six consecutive hits to begin the third inning were run-producing, extra-base hits by Odom and LeDarious Clark.  Clark's subsequent triple came on the heels of his second-inning double.

A three-run fourth inning was highlighted by Brad Swede's solo home run – his second of the year – while Drew Standland's second two-run single of the game accounted for the inning's other two runs.  The Lions reached the 10-run rule margin with two additional tallies in the fifth frame.

Sophomore right-hander Smokey Ethridge got the starting nod on the hill for the Lions in their season finale.  Allowing one run and four singles, with four strikeouts and two walks, in three innings of work, the former West Lauderdale standout upped his season record to a team-best 6-1 and his career mark to 12-3.