CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team split games two and three of their Gulf South Conference series against West Alabama on Saturday, to claim the series two game to one. The Choctaws won game one 6-2, and dropped the second game 4-3.
 
With the double-header split, the Choctaws record now sits at 28-12 overall, and 17-8 in GSC play.
 
Prior to game one, seniors Hunter Lacefield, Hunter Mullis, Baylor Obert, and Hunter Wilson were recognized as part of senior day festivities.
 

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GAME ONE
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Choctaws drew first blood in game one, when Blaine Crim's sac fly to right field plated Kyle Smith to give MC the 1-0 advantage after one inning.
- The Tigers would respond in the second inning with a home run from Luke Phillips to tie the game at 1-1.
- The Choctaws would regain the lead in the sixth, when Luke Yancey doubled down the left-field line, and came around to score on a fielding error by the left fielder.
- MC would tack on three insurance runs in the seventh, with an RBI fielder's choice by Billy Cameron, a wild pitch that plated Dylan Duplechain and a two-run homer from Blaine Crim.
- The Tigers were able to tally one run in the ninth, before giving way to the final mark of 6-2.
 

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INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- Grant Barber logged a team-high two hits in game one, while Crim drove in a team-high three Choctaws. Crim's homer in the seventh marked for his team-leading ninth on the season.
- Crim, Cameron, Luke Yancey, and Ty Alderman all recorded a hit and scored a run in game one.
- Phillips was the top offensive performer for West Alabama in game one, with one of the two Tiger hits, and their lone run driven in.
- Zack Ingram (4-0) picked up the win on the mound for the Choctaws in game one, tossing eight innings and striking out a season-high nine batters. Ingram surrendered just one run, while giving up just two hits on the day.
- Austin Chastang faced two batters in the ninth inning, before giving way to Ryan Lane, who would pick up the final three outs of the game.
- Cole Waites (3-5) took the loss for the Tigers tossing 6.1 innings of five-run ball.
 

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GAME TWO
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Tigers took the early 1-0 lead in the first inning, on a two-out RBI single to center from Ben Dalke.
- The Tigers would go on to add three runs in the fifth, highlighted by back-to-back solo home runs from their eight-hole and nine-hole hitters in Lincoln Stubbs and Ryan Hughes.
- The Choctaws would finally crack the scoreboard in the fifth inning, when Smith plated Alderman and Brandon Broussard on a two-run double to left field.
- Down to their final three outs in the seventh, the Choctaws attempted to mount a rally, as Duplechain reached on a dropped fly ball, and Kyle Smith knocked a double that hit off of the top of the fence.
- Grant Barber knocked in Duplechain on an RBI groundout to third, but the Choctaw rally would come up just short as Smith was left at second to end the game.
 

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INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- It was Smith that had the hot bat for MC in game two, as he logged both of MC's doubles in the game to go with a pair of runs driven in.
- Barber accounted for the Choctaw's other run driven in, while Alderman and Duplechain both recorded a run and a hit in game two.
- Dalke led the way for the Tigers in game two, with two hits and two runs driven in. Stubbs and Hughes provided the thunder for West Alabama, with their back-to-back home runs.
- Hunter Mullis (5-3) took the loss for the Choctaws, working four innings and surrendering four runs. The senior lefty struck out seven, while walking just one.
- Shelby Craddock worked the final three innings out of the bullpen for MC. Craddock struck out three, while surrendering no runs on just two hits.
- JT Salter (6-3) earned the win for the Tigers. Salter struck out four over 6.1 innings of work, while surrendering two earned runs.
- Nick Rathke (3) recorded the final two outs of the game for the save.
 

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UP NEXT
- The Choctaws will look ahead to Tuesday, April 24 when they travel to Magnolia, Ark. to take on Southern Arkansas in nonconference midweek action. First pitch is slated for 5:00 p.m.
 

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Mississippi College is a private Christian university located in Clinton, Mississippi with an enrollment of over 5,000 students. MC recently finished their transition process back to NCAA Division II and the Gulf South Conference and started competing for conference and national championships in the 2016-17 academic year.

The athletic department sponsors 17 intercollegiate athletic programs: Baseball, Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Football, Golf, Men's and Women's Soccer, Softball, Men's and Women's Tennis, Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field, Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field and Volleyball.

For more information on Mississippi College athletics, please contact David Nichols at 601-925-3234 or nichols@mc.edu.