FULTON, Miss. – The Indians bounced back to score a season-best 16 runs on 11 hits in game two to earn a split with the Holmes Bulldogs after dropping a one-run decision in extra innings in game one.
Game 1: Holmes 6, Indians 5 (10 innings)
Down 1-0, the Indians pulled even when Brock Ware scored on a ground out by Jarrett Morris in the second inning.
The Bulldogs answered with a pair of runs in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead before a solo home run by Hayden Roberts made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth. Holmes answered with a home run of their own in the sixth to go up 5-2.
The Indians rallied with a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth when Bo Rock scored on a single by Jude Treadaway, who would score the tying run on a single by Roberts. Holmes forced the game into extra innings with a strikeout to leave the potential game-winning run stranded at second.
The Bulldogs scored on a two-out single to pick up the extra-inning win.
Roberts had two of the Indians' five hits in the game.
Matt Bourdon was the pitcher of record after giving up three runs on five hits and no walks while striking out a season-high 10 batters.
Game 2: Indians 16, Holmes 6
The Indians picked up a 16-6 game two win after hanging nine runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth.
Holmes jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a double in the top of the first. Brock Ware answered with a single to score Jackson Lee and Jaxin Settlemires in home half of the inning. Kaylan Powell extended the lead to 3-1 when scored on a double to left by Settlemires. The Bulldog answered with a RBI single in the third.
The Indians rattled off three-unanswered runs on a single by Wicker in the third and when Settlemires scored on a pass ball before Bo Rock scored on a sacrifice fly by Jarrett Morris in the fourth.
The Bulldogs answered with three runs over the next two innings to make it a 7-5 game in favor of the Indians heading to the bottom of the sixth.
That's when the Indians' bat woke up.
Ware and Rock scored on a single to right by Treadaway. Morris and Treadaway scored on a single to left by Ty Wicker, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Lee to make it a 12-5 game with 2 outs in the inning. Ware drew a bases-loaded walk and Morris ripped a bases-clearing triple to score Settlemires, Rock and Ware to give the Indians a 16-5 advantage after six complete.
Holmes scored on a double in the seventh, but the Indians would cruise to the 10-run victory to earn a split with the Bulldogs.
Wicker had three hits and three RBI while Morris and Treadaway each added a pair of hits. Morris finished the game with four RBI with Ware adding three more runs batted in.
Tyler Morrison picked up the win after giving up three runs, none earned, on two hits and a walk while striking out three in 3.1 innings.
The Indians will look to keep the bats hot when they host Gulf Coast on Saturday, weather pending.