ROSEVILLE, Ga. --- The Mississippi College baseball team clinched its first weekend series of the season as it split a Gulf South Conference doubleheader with Lee University on Saturday, March 25. MC (10-20, 6-9 GSC) rallied from a three-run deficit in the series finale to clinch the series, 7-6. The Flames (16-14, 7-8 GSC) took the opener 17-4.
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A trio of Choctaw recorded multiple-hit performances in the double dip – all coming in the finale.
Cole Drake led the way going 4-for-6 on the day, including two home runs, and five RBI.
Jordan Rollins finished the afternoon with three hits.
Caleb Reese and
Alex McWhorter each notched two hits with both of McWhorter's coming in the second contest.
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Luis Alcantara joined Drake with a multi-RBI effort as he drove in a pair in the final game with a home run to center field in the top of the sixth inning to knot the affair at 6-all. The dinger marked his first of the season and the third of the day.
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MC picked up two strong relief efforts at the backend of the second contest as
Gabe Garner (1-0) logged his first win of the season as he struck out three and refused to allow a Flame hitter to reach base in two innings in relief.
Ervin Simmons also saw two innings in a relief appearance as he allowed a run on two hits and fanned one. The duo allowed just one run over the final two innings of action.
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Trailing 6-3 through five frames, Drake hit the first of two home runs in the top of the sixth for the Blue and Gold as his solo homer narrowed the deficit to 6-4. Two batters later Alcantara deadlocked the contest with his two-run home run that scored McWhorter, who singled just prior to the game-tying hit.
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After retiring the Flames in order in the home-half of the sixth, including two Garner punch-outs, the Choctaw broke the tie as
Kolby McWilliams singled to right field, with two outs, to score
Jordan Rollins, who led off the inning with a double to right center. MC posted six, two-out hits during the final contest, including the game-winner.
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Greyson Linderman (3-2) took the loss on the bump as he surrendered a run on three hits in 1.1 frames in relief. A trio of Flames recorded two hits in the contest led by Josiah Miller as he drove in a team-best three runs in the affair.
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In the opening game of the day, Drake gave the Choctaw an early lead with a grand-slam home run in the top of the first, it marked the third MC grand-slam of the season, and one of three hits for the team in the contest.
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The Red and Blue answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the margin in half, but it didn't stop there as an avalanche of runs followed as LU scored multiple runs in all six innings to walk away with the run-rule victory.
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Gavin LeBlanc (0-6) was saddled with the setback as he was one of five hurlers to take the bump in the contest for the Blue and Gold. He allowed five runs on four hits alongside two walks and two strikeouts in the start.
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Sam Fulton (4-1) went the distance for the Flames as she struck out eight on an even 100 pitches. Dylan Standifer and Brandon Daniels led the way at the dish with three hits each. Standifer and Noah Hattier each drove in four runs.
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The series win gives the Choctaw the leg in the series with Lee as they have won 13 of the 25 meetings and three of the last four and four of the last six meetings.
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Mississippi College returns to action on Friday, March 31 as it hosts Auburn University at Montgomery in a three-game, GSC series. First pitch of the series-opener is set for 6 p.m.
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