FULTON, Miss. – The No. 4 Indians won the MACJC Championship and earned hosting rights for the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament by sweeping Mississippi Delta 9-4, 5-2 Tuesday night.
Game 1: Indians 9, Delta 4
The Indians (37-6-1, 22-4 MACJC) powered their way to the game one victory behind a pair of two-run home runs by Austin Powell (Star City, Ark.) and a complete game, 10-strikeout performance by Justin Medlin (Ripley)
After falling behind 1-0, Powell blasted his first home run of the day in the fourth but Delta answered with a solo shot to tie the game in the fifth.
The Indians regained the lead after Jackson Lancaster (Corinth) scored on a ground and Kyle Crigger (Corinth) scored on a balk call. However, Delta would tie the game again on a two-run home run in the sixth.
Then Powell struck again, hitting a two-run home run over the center field wall and Lancaster followed with a run scoring single and a LaBryant Siddell (Belden) two-run scoring single to complete the five run frame in the sixth.
Medlin retired Delta in order in the final three innings to secure the victory and improve to 6-1 this season.
Game 2: Indians 5, Delta 2
The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame with Medlin drawing a bases loaded walk and Brett Coker (Hendersonville, Tenn.) hitting a sacrifice fly to score Lancaster.
Lancaster scored on a wild pitch in the third to extend the Indians lead to 3-0, but Delta answered with a run in the fourth and left runners in scoring position as Lancaster entered to pitch and got a strikeout to end the threat.
In the bottom of the fourth, Russell Bunch (Saltillo) scored on sacrifice fly by Lancaster and Siddell singled to score Ray Sandroni (Tupelo) to push the lead to 5-1.
Delta plated their final run in the sixth, and Lancaster struck out the final batter in the seventh to complete the sweep and clinch the MACJC Championships for the Indians.
This year's MACJC Championship is the third at ICC for Head Coach Rick Collier and his squad will wrap up the regular season Friday at Mississippi Gulf Coast, before hosting the Region 23 Tournament starting May 15. First pitch for the regular season finale is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Perkinston.
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