CLINTON, Miss. --- Despite hitting four home runs, the Mississippi College baseball team dropped a 12-8 decision at the University of West Georgia on Saturday afternoon. The setback snaps a two-game, win streak for the Choctaws, who move to 11-14 overall and 4-11 in Gulf South Conference action. UWG improved to 17-9 and 8-8 in the conference.
Will Elliott hit a pair of home runs to improve his mark to a team-best five on the season. Elliott finished the day going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Chance Whitten and
Colton Caver each added a home run in the contest. Whitten drove in two runs to accompany Elliott with multi-RBI.
Logan Ferrell,
Hunter Bolin and
Blaine Crim each joined Elliott with multiple hits on the day. Ferrell and Bolin each gathered three hits while Crim was 2-for-4.
Trailing by two runs going into the top of the eighth, the Navy and Gold added three runs to take an 8-7 lead on home runs from Caver and Elliott. Caver led off the frame with a solo shot – his first home run of the season. Two batters later, the Oxford, Miss., native added his second homer of the day – scoring Bolin, who reached on a single.
The Wolves responded with five runs in the bottom of the frame to capture the series opening victory. Artemis Kadkhodaian and Ben Utley drove in a bulk of the runs with two-run singles each.
Parker Watts took the loss on the mound (1-1) pitching 1.1 innings in a relief appearance. Watts allowed two runs on two hits with a walk and strikeout.
Jake Fraze tossed 4.0 frames in the start for the Choctaws as he surrendered five runs – two earned – on eight hits with a walk and strikeout.
MC jumped out to a 5-2 lead through three innings, but witnessed back-to-back two run-innings to claim a 6-5 advantage. The Wolves added another run in the sixth to increase the lead to 7-5. Elliott led of the game with a home run in the first inning followed by a RBI-double from Crim. Whitten concluded the scoring in the inning with a two-run to right that plated Crim.
Ferrell drove in the fifth, Choctaw run in the second inning with a single to right center that scored Bolin.
Mississippi College and West Georgia will conclude the series on Saturday, Mar. 26 as the two squads face in a doubleheader slated for a Noon central first pitch.
