JACKSON, Tenn. --- The Mississippi College baseball team stunned Gulf South Conference leader, Union University with a doubleheader sweep on Sunday, Mar. 12. The Choctaws snapped a seven-game slide with a 7-2 win over Union in the first game and followed with a 5-4 victory to clinch the series. Series finale slated for 1 p.m. on Monday, Mar. 13.
 
KEY STATS

• Four Choctaws collected multiple hit efforts during the twinbill, including Chance Whitten going 3-for-4 in the opening game with a single, double and triple. Casey Echols added a 3-for-5 day at the plate with a double and RBI while Hunter Wilson garnered a 2-for-5 day in the opener with a double and RBI and run scored. Blaine Crim provided the lone multi-hit performance in the night cap going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Hunter Lacefield and Zack Ingram combined to hold the Bulldogs to just three hits in the opening game. Lacefield (1-1) tossed 8.0 innings in the start allowing two runs on – one earned – with five strikeouts and seven walks to collect his first career win. Ingram slammed the door on Union with the final frame on the bump without allowing a batter to reach for his first save of the season.
• Hunter Mullis (1-2) garnered his first win on the hill this season with 4.0 frames on the mound allowing three runs on two hits with three strikeouts and six walks. Tommy Taborda added the second save of the season for the Navy and Gold. Taborda fanned five and allowed just one run on a hit and walk in 3.0 innings.
• The 12 hits in the opening game marked the second most this season for the Choctaws. The five doubles rank as the most in a single game while the pair of triples become the first of the season for the Navy and Gold.
• The three-hit, pitching performances in the doubleheader are fewest hits allowed this season by the Choctaw hurlers.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• MC scored six of its seven runs in the opener through the middle innings, including a pair of two-run frames in the fifth and sixth to claim the opener.
• After tying the game at 2-all in the top of the fourth, Wilson doubled down the left field line to score Grant Barber and break the deadlock. Echols followed with a RBI single to score Wilson and put MC up 4-2 in the fifth.
• The Choctaws added its second, two-run inning as Hunter Austin doubled down the right field line to score Whitten and Barber followed with a triple to plate Austin and extend the lead to 6-2.
• MC added its final run in the seventh with its fifth double of the game as Crim drove in Sykes.

 

• In the second game, MC got all the runs it needed in the first four frames with three in the second inning and two more in the top of the fourth as Taborda held the Bulldogs off the board the remainder of the way.
• After Crim scored on an error by the pitcher for the first run of the game, one batter later Smith dropped a bunt single to score Whitten to place MC up 2-0 in the top of the second. Wilson followed with a sacrifice fly to center field to plate Hunter Austin.
• Following a Grant Barber single and Smith walk to start the fourth, Barber scored on a fielder's choice. A single by Hunter Sykes lined up the second, run-scoring fielder's choice of the inning for MC as Wilson to score.
• Union battled back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to clip the lead to 5-3 and Nolen Milton's solo home run in the bottom of the seventh brought the lead to a run, but Taborda retired the next two batters to clinch the contest.