BOAZ, Ala. – After a pair of extra inning walk-off victories against Mississippi Delta, the Indians found themselves on the wrong side of an extra-inning walk-off decision in a 3-2 Game 1 loss at Snead State (Ala.) Community College on Saturday.
The Indians (10-1) made it a 2-1 contest in the third when Russell Bunch (Saltillo) grounded into a fielder's choice with bases loaded to score Connor Lewis (Corinth) from third. Trey DeSantis (Laurel) scored on a wild pitch in the fifth to tie the game 2-2 before the Parson (6-9) could get out of the inning with a strikeout two pitches later.
Snead State put the go-ahead run on a two-out triple in the bottom half of the fifth, but Kyle Crigger (Corinth) entered and strike out to get the Indians out of the jam. The Parson put another runner on third in the sixth, but Crigger got a three-pitch strike out to escape the inning with no damage done.
Justin Medlin (Ripley) singled to start the eighth and advanced to second on a one-out single by Bunch, but both were left stranded in the inning. Snead State put a runner on first with two outs in the bottom half of the inning by a line out to Ray Sandroni (Tupelo) at second ended the rally for the Parsons.
LaBryant Siddell (Tupelo) reached on a single to left in the top of the ninth, but was left stranded. Hunter Hughes (Saltillo) entered to pitch for the Indians and got a three up, three down bottom half of the ninth.
Medlin drew an eight-pitch walk to start the tenth and was erased from the bases when Drake Wallace (Amory) reached on a fielder's choice. Wallace stole second but left stranded in scoring position after a fly ball to center field ended the inning.
Braden Ellis (Saltillo) entered to pitch in the Parsons' half of the tenth and picked up a ground out and strikeout to start the inning before giving up three-straight singles to load the bases. Snead State got a gift on a very questionable ball four call on a full-count pitch that allowed the game-winning run to jog home.
Ellis was the pitcher of record for the Indians. He lasted two-thirds of an inning, allowing three hits and one run while striking out one and walking another in the loss. Medlin got the start and went four and two-third innings, giving up two runs on five hits while striking out five batters.
Bunch, Crigger, Siddell, Medlin, Lewis, Wallace and Kyle Weaver (Courtland) each had a single in the pitcher's duel. The Parsons struck out 11 ICC batters while the Indians combined to strikeout 13 Snead State batters in the loss.
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