EMCC tops ICC and Northeast in baseball season-opening action
The East Mississippi Community College baseball team successfully opened the 2021 season with wins over MACCC North Division foes Itawamba and Northeast Mississippi during Friday’s three-way matchup played at the Northeast Baseball Complex. Following a 9-3 nine-inning victory over ICC, the Lions capped the day’s season-opening action with a 3-2 triumph over host Northeast.
BOONEVILLE — The East Mississippi Community College baseball team successfully opened the 2021 season with wins over MACCC North Division foes Itawamba and Northeast Mississippi during Friday's three-way matchup played at the Northeast Baseball Complex. Following a 9-3 nine-inning victory over ICC, the Lions capped the day's season-opening action with a 3-2 triumph over host Northeast.
For the day, EMCC collected 22 total hits on offense, while four Lions pitchers only allowed 11 combined hits along with striking out 18 batters and issuing just two walks. Defensively, the Lions only committed a pair of errors and turned two double plays in the opening game.
In the opener, EMCC and ICC traded two-run first frames. The Lions struck first with Austin Beech's RBI single and a sacrifice fly by Wesley Sides. The Indians answered with consecutive run-scoring singles by Tyler Murphy and Riley Davis.
EMCC's fourth-inning solo run on Blayze Berry's RBI single was then matched by ICC's unearned run in the bottom of the sixth.
Following a pair of scoreless extra frames, the scheduled seven-inning contest was broken open in the ninth when the Lions had seven consecutive batters reach base safely with six crossing home plate. Berry got things started by capping a 3-for-4 outing at the plate with a two-run homer. EMCC's decisive six-run inning also featured triples by Trey Trosclair and Al Dumas in addition to three runs scoring on wild pitches.
Berry, a Mississippi State transfer out of Columbus' Heritage Academy, then went back to the mound to finish off his first collegiate win. After relieving EMCC starter Will Long with two outs in the sixth inning, Berry retired the last 10 hitters of the game with six strikeouts and no walks.
Long, from Ripley, allowed three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk during his 5.2 innings of work.
Offensively in the opener, Dumas and Beau Bates had two hits apiece in EMCC's 12-hit team effort.
In the nightcap versus the home-standing Tigers, the two teams traded solo runs in the opening frame. Beech's run-producing double was answered by Jacob Compton's RBI single for Northeast.
The Lions went on to grab a 3-1 lead with single tallies in the third and fifth innings. Beech scored on a wild pitch after leading off the third with a single. Two frames later, Braxton Lee's two-out infield single plated Sides for what would be the deciding run.
Northeast cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth off EMCC reliever Dakota Boney when Compton's RBI single brought home Conner Davis, who tripled with two outs. Boney, out of Southeast Lauderdale High School, then settled down to retire seven of the next eight batters, including three strikeouts, to pick up the save for the Lions.
EMCC freshman right-hander Cade Davis notched the win in his collegiate debut. The former Ripley High School standout struck out five and walked only one while giving up one run on just two hits over four innings of work for the Lions.
Offensively in the nightcap, Beech paced EMCC's 10-hit team effort with a 3-for-4 showing at the plate. New Hope's Rye McGlothin and Starkville's Tae Lucious added two hits apiece for the winners.
Coach Brett Kimbrel's 2-0 EMCC Lions are scheduled to take on the Rangers of Northwest Mississippi Community College in a Wednesday (Feb. 3) doubleheader at Senatobia. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. at Northwest's Jim Miles Field with live-stream action set to be available at nwccrangers.com/watch.