EMCC Lions step out of conference play to split baseball twin bill at Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. – Stepping out of conference play, the Lions of East Mississippi Community College split a road baseball doubleheader with Baton Rouge Community College Saturday afternoon.  EMCC prevailed 8-3 in the opener but dropped a 6-4 decision in the nightcap at Pete Goldsby Field.

In the scheduled nine-inning opener, the Lions staked starting pitcher Vijay Miller to a 3-1 lead through five innings.  In the second, Whitt Davis' leadoff triple off BRCC's Jon Jones was followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Austin Lowther.  A pair of Baton Rouge miscues then led to two more EMCC runs in the fourth.

With Miller scattering four hits over five innings, the Bears reached EMCC's two-sport standout for a run in the fifth.  Following a leadoff single by Seth Daugherty and John Mauldin's double, Joseph Domingue drove home BRCC's first run with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Lions added to their run total with three scores in the seventh, including back-to-back RBI singles from Mike Farnell and Davis, and two more tallies in the ninth on run-producing hits by Farnell and Lowther.

Baton Rouge scored solo runs in each of the last two innings off EMCC reliever Austin Howland to account for the 8-3 final in the opener.

EMCC's Miller struck out three and walked three to improve to 3-0 on the year.

The Lions' 11-hit team effort in the opening game was led by Anthony Hickman's 3-for-5 outing.  Farnell, Davis and Lowther all had two hits apiece.

The visitors again got on the scoreboard first in the nightcap on Marcus Ragan's two-out RBI single off BRCC starting pitcher Dillen Miller in the third inning.  Ragan, a Warren Central High School product, later added a bunt single and a run scored in the fifth.

In the fourth, EMCC starting pitcher Bubba Stockstill ran into control problems with four walks and a balk that contributed to five Baton Rouge runs on just two hits.

The Lions cut into the 5-1 deficit on Davis' two-run single in the fifth.  The two teams then traded solo tallies in their next respective at-bats to account for the 6-4 outcome.    

Coach Chris Rose's 12-10 EMCC Lions, 2-6 within the conference, return to MACJC action by playing host to the Holmes Bulldogs in a scheduled Wednesday doubleheader on the Scooba campus.  First pitch is set for 4 p.m. at Gerald Poole Field.