FULTON, Miss. – A four-run first inning led the No. 4 Indians to a 6-2 win over Co-Lin in game one and a balk call with the bases loaded gave them the sweep with a 5-4 win in the night cap.
Game 1: Indians 6, Co-Lin 2
The Indians (31-6-1, 16-4 MACJC) scored four runs in the opening frame as Jackson Lancaster (Corinth) hit a two-run home run and Jacob Hall (Petal) doubled down the left field line to score two runs.
Several three up, three down innings kept the Indians in the lead but Co-Lin put runners at the corners in the fourth. However, the Indians would end the threat quickly by turning a 1-6-3 double play.
In the sixth, Co-Lin scored a run by stringing together three hits, but the Indians would answer with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Hall hit his second double of the game to score one run. Brett Coker (Hendersonville, Tenn.) later scored on a wild pitch to extend the Indians lead to 6-1.
Co-Lin scored on run in the final frame on a balk call with a runner at third, but sophomore pitcher Houston Harding (Walls) would strike out the next two batters to end the game. Harding improved to 9-0 this season by striking out nine in his complete game performance.
Game 2: Indians 5, Co-Lin 4
Co-Lin scored one run in the first inning but Hall struck again to tie the game with his fourth RBI of the day on a single to left, and he gave the Indians a 2-1 lead as he scored on a ground out later in the second frame.
The Indians would extend their lead to 4-1 when Hall drew a bases loaded walk and Justin Medlin (Ripley) scored on a fielder's choice in the third.
Co-Lin would tie the game in the fifth picking up three runs on three hits and drawing a bases loaded walk.
In the top of the seventh, Co-Lin had runners at the corners and attempted a squeeze play, but Kyle Crigger (Corinth), who entered to pitch in the fifth, fielded the bunt and dove to tag the runner at the plate to record the first out.
Crigger then forced a ground out to short, and during the play, Co-Lin sent a runner home, but Medlin quickly threw home to Ray Sandroni (Tupelo) who tagged the runner for the third out and kept the game tied at 4-4.
Braden Ellis (Saltill0) and Coker led off the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back singles and Co-Lin intentionally walked Lane Domino (Fulton) to load the bases. During Sandroni's at bat, Co-Lin's pitcher was called for a balk that allowed Coker to score and give the Indians the 5-4 win and the sweep.
The sweep keeps the Indians a top the MACJC Standings and currently have a two game lead over Northwest, Jones and Pearl River, who all have six conference losses with two weeks left in the regular season.
Wednesday, the Indians will hit the road for another crucial conference doubleheader as they visit Clarksdale to face Coahoma at 1 p.m.
For more information on ICC Baseball, follow ICC Athletics on Twitter (@LetsGoICC).