EMCC Lions improve to 9-3 on the diamond with four-game sweep of preseason-ranked foes in Florida

MARIANNA, Fla. – East Mississippi Community College's baseball team improved to 9-3 on the season by sweeping preseason-ranked opponents Wallace Community College-Dothan and host Chipola College on consecutive days at Jeff Johnson Field. The EMCC Lions first knocked off CC and WCCD by respective scores of 15-9 and 13-5 on Friday and then came back the following day to prevail again 10-7 and 7-3, respectively, over the same two teams.

On Friday, the visiting Lions led host Chipola the entire opening game in large part to posting five-run innings in the second and sixth frames. A leadoff home run by Greer Manning in the second inning and Ty Murphy's three-run blast in the sixth sparked those two frames for EMCC.

Five EMCC players had multiple hits in the opener, including Murphy, Sam McClinton, Miles Mitchell and Jackson Rodgers with three hits apiece. The Lions matched their season high with 15 runs scored to go along with a season-most 17 hits.

Freshman left-hander Trace Tingle picked up the win in the opener by pitching into the fourth inning. Tyler Harden and Luke Sides provided relief support during the six-run victory to begin the two-day event.

Friday's nightcap against Wallace-Dothan was scoreless through the first three innings before becoming tied at 5-5 after five frames. Rodgers' two-out grand slam in the sixth capped the Lions' five-run inning. EMCC added three more runs a frame later on run-scoring doubles from Colin Boyd and Hugh LeMasters.

Chipper Moore was the beneficiary of the Lions' late-game scoring exploits while earning the pitching victory in relief of starter Evan Hilliard and middle relievers Jackson Crow and Elijah Young. Moore struck out four and allowed just two singles in 2.2 scoreless innings of work.

LeMasters, who also hit a leadoff homer in the fourth inning, and Boyd each had two hits to lead EMCC to the eight-run win over the Wallace Govs on Friday.

EMCC pulled out two more victories the following day in Marianna, Florida by producing winning runs in their final at-bats during both contests.

In Saturday's scheduled seven-inning opener, the Lions led Chipola all game until the Indians knotted the score at 7-7 with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. The previous inning proved critical for EMCC, as pinch-hitter Ian Henry's two-out RBI single gave the visitors a vital insurance run and 7-5 lead heading to the seventh.

Following Chipola's game-tying, two-run seventh, the visitors answered by scoring three times to lead off the extra frame. McClinton's clutch two-out, two-run single followed base hits from pinch-hitter Caiden Chain and Gabe Roberts. In his second inning of relief following starter Matthew Birdsong and a pair of middle relievers, Jackson Crow retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to pick up the victory for EMCC.

At the plate in Saturday's opener, McClinton and LeMasters had two hits apiece to lead the Lions' 11-hit team effort.

The Lions' successful weekend in the Sunshine State concluded with even more drama and emotion against Wallace-Dothan. The Govs' starting pitcher Mason Koczwara held EMCC hitless with nine strikeouts through five innings before seemingly tiring in the sixth.

After EMCC had managed only three baserunners on walks during the first five frames, the Lions' first six batters in the sixth inning all reached base off Koczwara and reliever Clint Lafferty. A two-run double by LeMasters and Jayson Smith Jr.'s RBI single highlighted a seven-run inning in which the Lions sent 11 batters to the plate.

On the mound for the Lions making an emotional appearance following the passing of his father earlier in the week, Otis Brooks III took over for EMCC starter Caidan Bullard in the second inning with a 2-0 deficit. With only 3.2 total innings of prior collegiate experience to his credit in just three previous pitching appearances for the Lions, the sophomore right-hander from Gulfport proceeded to limit Wallace-Dothan to just one run and only a pair of singles over the final six innings to collect the emotional victory and complete the weekend sweep for EMCC. In one stretch during his breakthrough outing, Brooks retired 12 consecutive batters.

Coach Brett Kimbrel's 9-3 EMCC Lions will get their first look at conference competition on Tuesday (Feb. 18) when they travel to Poplarville take on the Holmes Bulldogs and the host Pearl River Wildcats in non-MACCC action at 2 and 5 p.m., respectively, at PRCC's Dub Herring Park.