ELLISVILLE, Miss. – For the third consecutive Saturday, the No. 10 Itawamba Community College Indians faced a top-10 ranked opponent, and for the second straight week, they swept a top-five opponent, defeating No. 2 Jones College, 9-4 in game one and 7-0 in game two.
Game 1: Indians 9, Jones 4 [Click here for highlights]
The Indians (21-4-1, 8-2 MACJC) and the Bobcats traded runs in the first three frames with Jones scoring one run in each inning and the Indians getting an RBI single by LaBryant Siddell (Belden) and taking advantage of errors to plate two runs in the second. However, the Bobcats held a 3-2 advantage after five innings with the Indians struggling to string together hits to tie the contest.
Then Kyle Crigger (Corinth) stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth and with two strikes, he smashed a grand slam to left field to put the Tribe back on top, 6-3.
A double by Austin Powell (Star City, Ark.) drove in a run to give the Indians a 7-3 lead in the seventh. Jones loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but Houston Harding (Walls) forced a ground ball to third where Russell Bunch (Saltillo) stepped on the bag to end the threat and the frame.
The Indians added a pair of runs in the eighth as Crigger doubled home a run and later scored as Justin Medlin (Ripley) reached on a fielder's choice.
Jones plated a run in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk, but the Bobcats left the bases loaded again as Crigger, who took over on the mound in the eighth, was able to force a ground ball to end the inning.
The Indians closed the door on the Bobcats in the final frame to pick up the big conference win. Harding improved to 6-0 this season after seven innings of work where he struck out four and allowed six hits.
Game 2: Indians 7, Jones 0 [Click here for highlights]
Medlin started the nightcap with a bang, hitting a two-run home run to right field in the first inning to give the Indians an early advantage.
The Indians extended their lead to 4-0 in the third as Crigger doubled to score Ray Sandroni (Tupelo), and Siddell singled to bring Crigger home.
In the fourth, Crigger reached on a fielder's choice to score Brett Coker (Hendersonville, Tenn.) and later scored when Jackson Lancaster (Corinth) reached on a Bobcat error. Coker brought in the game's final run by drawing a bases-loaded walk an inning later.
While the Indians put runs on the board, Austin King (Fulton) made sure the Bobcats stayed off of it as he threw five and one-third innings of shutout baseball to improve to 4-1 this season. David Rowland (Florence, Ala.) came in to complete the shutout and the sweep.
The Indians will stay on the road this week as they step out of conference play Tuesday for a doubleheader with Southwest Tennessee Community College in Millington, Tenn., and return to conference action on Saturday when they head to Summit for a twin bill with Southwest Mississippi Community College. Tuesday's games are scheduled for 3 p.m. and Saturday's at 2 p.m.
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