EMCC - Athletics: Sports, News, Players, and Coaches. Go Lions! - EMCC has five-game baseball win streak snapped by Jones County

SCOOBA –- The Lions of East Mississippi couldn’t recover from a five-run first inning by visiting Jones County in dropping a 6-2 home decision to the Bobcats in junior college baseball action Friday afternoon at EMCC’s Gerald Poole Field.

The visitors batted around in the opening frame by touching EMCC starter Tyler Richardson for five runs on four hits. Getting their first four batters on base and eventually around to score, the Bobcats sent 10 hitters to the plate in the first. The third and fourth runs of the inning reached home via a balk and wild pitch from Richardson, who lost for the first time in three decisions on the year.

Entering the contest with a five-game winning streak, the Lions received a gift run off starter Cory Williams in the second inning. EMCC freshman Tyler Aldridge singled and later came all the way around to score on a throwing error by JCJC catcher Ryan Roberts and another subsequent miscue by right fielder Darion Hamilton on a pick-off attempt at first base.

Jones County, who improved to 17-1 on the season, made it a 6-1 contest on a leadoff home run to the opposite field by Tyler Gardner in the fifth inning. EMCC’s only other run of the game came in the sixth when freshman Thomas Hays led off the inning with a single, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Both clubs had eight hits apiece and each team left six runners on base, while EMCC and JCJC both utilized four pitchers in the contest. Sophomore center fielder Derek Beach was the only Lion to get multiple hits with a pair singles, while sophomore shortstop Brandon Kiewel managed the home team’s lone extra-base hit in the game with a leadoff double in the fifth.

A North Alabama signee, Richardson gave up five runs, with one strikeout and two walks, in three innings of work to fall to 2-1 on the season. Kameron Heiser worked an inning on the mound, followed by Beach’s two-inning stint and Lance Portera finishing out the contest.

Earlier in the day, East Mississippi completed a three-game sweep of Hibbing (Minn.) Community College by claiming a 7-3 decision. With six singles and eight stolen bases in the contest as a team, Lion freshman Hilton Gibson, of New Hope High School, led the way with two singles and two runs scored.

The first of four hurlers used by the Lions in Friday’s earlier outing, freshman Andrew Graham of Quitman picked up his first collegiate victory by striking out four and allowing only one hit in three scoreless innings of work.

Out-hitting the visiting Cardinals from the state of Minnesota by a 34-12 margin over the three-game series, EMCC swept Thursday’s doubleheader against Hibbing by scores of 6-0 and 17-2.

Head coach Tony Montgomery’s 13-7 EMCC Lions begin MACJC North Division play with a Tuesday doubleheader at Coahoma beginning at noon. Next home action for East Mississippi will be next weekend (March 20-21), with division foe Northeast Mississippi in town for a Saturday doubleheader followed by a Sunday twinbill against Williams Baptist College of Arkansas. Both doubleheaders are slated to begin at 1 p.m. at Gerald Poole Field on the Scooba campus.