FULTON, Miss. - The Indians held off a pair of late rallies from Snead State (Ala.) to sweep the Parsons with a 3-2 win in Game 1 and an 8-4 Game 2 victory to open the season.
Jackson Lancaster (Corinth) went 6-for-7 with a walk, two doubles, and two RBI in Saturday's doubleheader.
Game 1: Indians 3, Snead State 2
The Indians (2-0) took a 1-0 lead after Kyle Crigger (Corinth) and came around to score when LaBryant Siddell (Belden) reached on an error in the bottom of the first. Crigger would give the tribe a 2-0 lead when we reached on a two-out walk and scored on a double by Lancaster in the second.
Lancaster drove in Crigger for the eventual game-winning run on a single in the fourth inning. Snead State (2-2) rallied with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to make it a one-run game. Crigger entered with tying run in scoring position before getting a strikeout and hauling in a groundball to get out inning.
The Indians loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth, but could not push across an insurance run before heading into the final frame.
The Parsons got a single to start the seventh and stole second base to move the tying run into scoring position. Snead State attempted a sacrifice bunt but a heads up play by Crigger going to third to get the lead runner removed the tying run from scoring position. Snead had runners on first and second when Crigger got a strikeout and Austin Powell (Star City, Ark.) threw out the runner trying to steal third to end the game.
Houston Harding (Walls) picked up the win after giving up one hit and striking out two in four innings of work. Crigger gave up one hit and struck out a pair of batters in two innings earn his first save of the season.
The Indians had five hits in the win with Lancaster going 3-for-3 with an intentional walk, a double, and two RBI.
Game 2: Indians 8, Snead State 4
Powered by clutch two-out hitting, the Indians completed the sweep of the Parsons with an 8-4 win in the final game of the day.
Kylan Carter (Houston) and Brett Coker (Hendersonville, Tenn.) each had two-run singles with two outs in the bottom of the first to help the Indians take a 4-0 advantage.
With two outs in the third, Lane Domino (Fulton) pushed across a pair of runs with a single. Braden Ellis (Saltillo) followed with another single to put the Indians up 7-0. Carter scored on an error to put the Indians up 8-0 after four complete. The Parsons' bats heated up to plate four runs in the top of the sixth inning, but the Indians took care of business in the seventh to pick up the win.
ICC churned out 11 hits in the game with Lancaster going 3-for-4 with a double and Coker adding a pair of singles and two RBI.
Austin King (Fulton) got the win after giving up two hits and striking out two in three innings of work.
The Indians are scheduled to return to action next weekend when they Rend Lake (IL) College on Saturday and Lake Land (IL) College on Sunday.
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