| East Mississippi splits home baseball doubleheader with Northwest |
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.jpg "Image") Luke Walker went 3-for-4 at the plate in the first game of a Tuesday doubleheader, including his second home run of the season, in the Lions’ 6-3 home win over Northwest Mississippi at Gerald Poole Field. In Tuesday’s opener, the Lions plated a pair of runs in each of the first two innings to stake starter Tyler Richardson to a 4-1 lead. The Rangers cut the deficit in half with a solo run in the fourth, but EMCC got the run right back in the bottom half of the inning on Luke Walker’s second home run of the year off Northwest starter Jon-Michael Davis. Both teams added single runs to round out the 6-3 final in the first game. A product of West Lauderdale High School, Walker added a run-producing double in the second inning and a single in the sixth to put together a 3-for-4 outing with two runs scored and two runs batted in during the opening contest. With each Lion position starter collecting at least one base hit in the opener, Heidelberg’s Derek Beach and David Williams of Hernando both had a pair of hits to contribute to EMCC’s 13-hit effort. On the mound, Richardson went 3 1/3 innings for the Lions, allowing two runs on three hits and five walks, to raise his record to 3-6 on the year. Freshman Drew Vaughan relieved Richardson in the fourth after back-to-back walks followed a double to start the inning. Vaughan kept the visitors in check the rest of the way, allowing just one run to score in the fourth and giving up a solo tally in the sixth. The former Heritage Academy standout worked the final 3 2/3 innings, scattering four singles while striking out a pair of batters and issuing just one walk. In the nightcap, the Rangers reached EMCC starter Derek Beach for three runs on three hits and a Lion fielding error in the fourth inning. With Northwest starter Jeffrey Vance seemingly in control through four no-hit innings, the right-hander opened the fifth by hitting the first three batters he faced. A fielding error at third base on Logan Theall’s ground ball and a double-play ball hit by Alex Lummus plated the Lions’ first two runs of the second game. However, Vance got out of the inning without further damage by getting Walker to fly out to left field. As East Mississippi relievers Austin Riggs and Matt Wigington put the clamps on Northwest by retiring seven consecutive batters between them over the final 2 2/3 innings, the Lions’ late-game rallies in the sixth and seventh innings were both thwarted. After loading the bases, sparked by lead-off singles by Nathan Peden and Billy Beard, with one out in the sixth, Vaughan flied out to right and pinch hitter Chase Pearson struck out looking to end the inning. Still trailing, 3-2, in the contest, Lummus and Walker both singled with one out in the seventh inning to initiate another comeback attempt by the home team. Northwest reliever Mark Husband got Peden to bounce back to the mound and retired pinch hitter Zane Cradic on a game-ending fly ball to center field to preserve the doubleheader split for the visiting Rangers.
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 April 2009 ) |
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