CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team scored three runs in the eighth inning, capped off by a walk-off single from
Austin Warkentin, to pick up a 7-6 win over Delta State University on Saturday afternoon at Frierson Field.
The Choctaws (12-26, 4-21 GSC) bounced back from a tough 11-0 loss to the Statesmen (16-13, 11-8 GSC) in the first game.
In the MC victory, DSU would jump out to a 2-0 lead with runs in the 1st and 3rd innings, but freshman
Colton Johnson gave the Choctaws a 4-2 advantage with his first career home run, a three-run shot over the left field fence.
The two-out long ball would score junior
Toler Robinson and sophomore
Hunter Bolin. The Choctaws got their first run of the game in the inning as Bolin's fielder's choice drove in senior
Marty Stringfellow.
Senior
Brooks Fortenberry kept the Choctaws with the lead until the sixth inning when Marc McMillan hit a two-run home run over the left-field wall to tie the game.
The game remained tied until the 8th inning when the Statesmen jumped ahead with a two-out, two-run single by Ben Pickard.
The Choctaws would come out swinging in their half of the eighth as Bolin and Johnson singled to open the frame. The eight and nine-hole hitters combined to go 5-for-8 with four RBI and four runs scored in the contest.
After they moved up to second and third on a passed ball, junior
Colton Caver tied the game with a single through the right side, and Johnson slid around the tag.
Delta State walked freshman
Grant Veteto intentionally to set up a double play after Caver had moved up to second on the throw home. That set up Warkentin's single to right field that scored Caver with the game-winning run.
The Choctaws would rack up 16 hits in the game, tying their third-highest total of the season. Warkentin, Stringfellow, freshman
Kyle Smith and junior
Caleb Upton joined Bolin and Johnson with multi-hit games.
Senior
Grady Turman (2-2) would get the win in relief for the Choctaws, allowing three hits and two unearned runs over 2.0 innings. Fortenberry struck out four over 6.0 innings on the mound.
In the opener, the Statesmen would score seven runs in the second inning, putting the game away early. They would use seven hits in the frame, highlighted by a two-run single from Matt Barrett.
After the tough inning, freshhman
Jake Fraze settled in and held the Statesmen to just three hits and one run over the next 3.0 innings.
The rubber game of the series will be on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Frierson Field.