Indians win shootout vs Holmes, 13-12
Adam Gore/LetsGoICC.com
GOODMAN, MS - In a game that saw six lead changes, the Indians (12-8, 2-2 MACJC North) completed the sweep of the Holmes Bulldogs (18-6, 3-3 MACJC North) with a 13-12 8-inning shootout on Tuesday.
Luke Gibbs (Oxford) doubled in the top of the eighth inning to score Russ Johnson (Hatley) to put the Indians up 13-12 allowing TJ Watson (Dallas, GA) to get a three up, three down bottom half of the inning to pick up the win after pitching two shutout innings.
Holmes jumped out to a 4-0 lead before ICC got a two-run run rally in the third when Andy Bowman (Memphis, TN) singled to score Ethan Gill (Pontotoc) before scoring on a single by Hayden Williams (Amory).
Gable Butler (Thishomingo) and Gibbs reach via walk in the fourth and scored on a three-run bomb to left by Drew Wheeler (Mooreville) to give the Indians their first lead of the game at 5-4.
The Indians hung a five spot on the board in the fifth. Cameron Coker (Germantown, TN) started the inning with a double and was replaced by courtesy runner Anthony Mallard (Verona) before a walk to Butler forced the Bulldogs to go to their third pitcher of the inning.
Bryce Williams (Ridgeland) singled to score Mallard after advancing to third on a sac bunt by Johnson forcing the third Bulldog pitcher off the mound in the inning. Gibbs drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases as Holmes went to their fifth arm of the inning.
Gill roped a two-out single to plate Williams before Bowman drew a six-pitch bases-loaded walk to push across Gibbs and cause the sixth pitcher to enter the game in the fifth inning for the Bulldogs.
Holmes appeared to get out of the inning on a shallow pop-up to center, but smart base running by Wheeler and Gill put two more runs on the board after a dropped ball by the centerfielder allowed the Indians to take a 10-4 lead after sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth inning.
The Bulldogs answered with three runs in the bottom of the fifth and six innings to tie the game 10-10 heading into the final frame.
Bowman kept the top of the seventh inning alive with a two-out double and scored on a single by Hayden Williams, who would steal second and score on a single by Coker to put the Indians up 12-10.
Holmes rallied to force extra innings with a pair runs in the bottom half of the inning, but failed to get anything going in the bottom of the eight as the Indians held on for the one-run victory to complete the sweep of the Bulldogs.
The two North Division foes combined for 26 hits, with 10 going for extra bases in the game.
Hayden Williams went 3-for-5, drove in a run and scored another. He tripled in the second inning before hitting a single in the third and seventh innings.
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