CLINTON, Miss. --- A late charge comes up short as the Mississippi College baseball team fell to the University of West Alabama in the opening game of the three-game weekend series on Friday, March 10, 9-4.
 
The two teams wrap up the series on Saturday, March 11. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
 
Caleb Reese, Cody Crifasi and Bryce LaRocca tallied two hits each as Reese provided the only multiple-RBI effort of the game as he drove in a pair. The Blue and Gold totaled 10 hits on the night.
 
Trailing 9-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the Choctaw received a leadoff walk followed by back-to-back singles from Lane Willis and Crifasi to load the bases. Bridley Thomas pushed across the first of three runs in the frame with his nation-leading 11th hit by pitch of the season to score McRae Houston.
 
Following a Rhett Birdsong walk – the third of the frame and the fourth of the night – that scored Lane Willis, the Caleb Reese strolled to the plate with the bases loaded still juiced looking to narrow the deficit on one swing. The Bossier City, La., product lifted a fly ball to the left center gap, but it was hauled in, but pushed Crifasi across the dish with one down. The run marked the final of the game as a ground out and fly out ended the threat.
 
Gavin LeBlanc (0-4) was tagged with the setback on the bump. The Morse, La., native struck out nine in the contest, but allowed eight runs on 11 hits, a walk in 5.1 frames in the start. Ervin Simmons toed the rubber in the final 3.2 innings as he struck out three and held the Tigers to one run on one hit in the relief performance.
 
UWA jumped on the board early as it plated two runs in the first off a home run from Michael Rich. The Tigers plated four more in the top of the third headlined by Jake Nemith's three-run home run. They added one more in the fifth to take a 7-0 lead before Reese placed MC on the board in the bottom half of the fifth with a RBI-single into left field that scored Birdsong.
 
The Red and White added one more in the top of the sixth as Nemith drove in his team-best, fifth RBI of the game to cap the scoring for the visitors from the Yellowhammer State. He and Rich finished with three hits on the night.
 
Bryant Quimby (2-2) pitched 8.0 frames in the start and garnered the win. He allowed three runs on nine hits and added seven strikeouts in the performance. Jackson Wynn finished the final frame with a run on one hit with three walks and three strikeouts.
 
 
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