CLINTON, Miss. --- The Mississippi College baseball team dropped the series finale to the No. 2 University of Tampa in a slugfest on Sunday, March 5 as the Spartans (13-3) outlasted MC (6-12) 12-11 at Frierson Field at Dickins-Scoper Stadium.
 
In a back-and-forth series throughout the weekend, the final game proved no different as the Red and Black took the lead for good in the top of the eighth on an Anthony Nunez double to plated E.J. Doskow. It marked the second hit of the day for the Spartan and his team-best fourth RBI.
 
A quartet of Choctaw recorded multiple hits in the contest as Kolby McWilliams, Jordan Rollins, Alex McWhorter and Bryce LaRocca each gathered a pair of hits. McWhorter paced the squad with three RBI while LaRocca and McWilliams each drove in two to join the Semmes, Ala., native in the multi-RBI category.
 
Ervin Simmons (0-1) was charged with the loss on the bump. He tossed 1.1 frames in relief and allowed two runs on two hits along with a walk. The Greenville, Miss., product was one of seven hurlers to take the bump for the Blue and Gold on the day.
 
After UT struck the first blow of the game, the Choctaw responded with a five-run home half of the frame to take a 5-1 lead. McWilliams, McWhorter and Bridley Thomas all supplied RBI during the opening inning. McWhorter extended the margin further in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice fly that plated Caleb Reese and pushed the margin to 6-1.
 
The Red and Black responded with three runs in the third and again in the fourth to grab its first lead at 7-6, but MC answered with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth as LaRocca belted a two-run home run over the left field wall to regain the advantage at 8-7.
 
After Tampa tied the game in the sixth and again in the seventh, Rollins regained the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh giving the Choctaw a narrow one-run lead heading into the two final two frames.
 
Santiago Garavito lifted a sac fly into center field to force the third deadlock of the contest at 11-all in the top of the eighth. The Spartans looked to add more in the top of the ninth as they loaded the bases with one down, but a 5-2 double play at the plate thwarted the plan to extend the lead and setting a possible second come-from-behind win in the series for the Choctaw.
 
J.T. Vance led off the final frame as he drew a five-pitch walk. Rollins followed one batter later on a hit by pitch. The duo moved into scoring position on a pair of stolen bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the rally and sideswiped the late charge.
 
Ashton Pocol (1-0) logged the win on the bump as he pitched 2.2 frames in relief a run allowed on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk. Jack Brodsky (1) received the save as he faced the final two MC hitters in the ninth.
 
Mississippi College returns to action on Tuesday, March 7 as it hosts Arkansas Tech University in non-conference action. First pitch is 3 p.m.
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