FULTON, Miss – Needing a pair of wins to stay in the chase to host the opening round of the playoffs, the Indians (30-10, 17-7 MACCC) swept the Hinds Eagles (22-21, 10-12 MACCC) with a pair of hard-fought wins on Saturday.
Game 1: Indians 6, Eagles 5
Trailing 3-2 after seven innings, the Eagles rallied with three runs in the top of the eight to take 5-3 advantage. The Indians answered with three runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a one-run lead.
Will Verdung (Corinth) started the inning with his 14th home run of the season to make it a 5-4 game in favor of Hinds. Jackson Lee (Calhoun City) followed with a single and Bo Rock (Amory) drew a one-out walk to put runners on first and second. Gray Bane (Lewisburg) blistered a double down the line to score Jackson and Rock and give the Indians the one-run lead.
Hinds got the tying run on base after a one-out error in the top of the ninth, but Verdung closed the door on the rally with a pop up to third and routine groundout to first.
Eli Akins (Ripley) gave up four runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one in 7.1 innings of work. Verdung improved to 4-1 on the season after giving up one run on two hits in 1.2 innings.
The Indians got on the board in the third when Matthew Martinolich (Ellisville) doubled and scoring a sac fly by Verdung. Verdung added a run on solo home run to start the sixth and Bane doubled and scored on a sac fly by Drew Capobianco (Saltillo) in the seventh.
Game 2: Indians 2, Eagles 0
JW Armistead (Mooreville) tossed a complete game one-hitter to help the Indians complete the sweep with a 2-0 win in the night cap.
Bane broke up the Eagles no-hitter with a double to start the fifth inning and scored on a Capobianco single. Lee ripped a two-out single to push across Capobianco to put the Indians up 2-0.
The Eagles brought the tying run to plate after a two-out hit batter in the seventh, but a leaping catch to rob Hinds of an extra base hit by Verdung ended the game and helped complete the sweep.
Armistead (6-1) gave up one hit, one walk, and hitting batter while striking out eight batter in the complete game shutout victory.
Conner Nation had an impressive showing on the hill for the Eagles. The sophomore gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking nine in six innings.
The Indians are scheduled to travel to Senatobia to take Northwest (22-22, 10-14 MACCC) on Tuesday at 3:00 and 6:00 p.m.
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