By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
The Alabama College State Baseball Tournament starts later this week, but it officially started a little earlier for the Jefferson Davis Community Warhawks.
Friday's twinbill split at home against Alabama Southern put JDCC in a position where it had to sweep Saturday's doubleheader rematch at Alabama Southern in order to qualify for postseason with a top four finish in the Alabama Community College Conference standings.
The loss that put JDCC in that position was a tough 2-0 eight-inning setback in Friday's second game.
Warhawks starting pitcher Dustin Blackwell threw seven innings of three-hit shutout ball when he was relieved in favor of Dustin Blakely.
Blakely was unable to continue the scoreless battle in the eighth inning, as a double and a two-run homer gave the Eagles their margin of victory.
JDCC, which struck out 11 times, had its best chane to score go by in the sixth inning when Chet McDonough and Chris Williams both singled with one out, but were stranded.
The Warhawks (12-10 in the ACCC and 29-25 overall) rallied for a 5-4 victory in the opener.
A two-run double by Brent Childress highlighted a four-run fifth inning that wiped out a 2-0 deficit. After Alabama Southern tied the game with a pair of runs in the top half of the sixth, JDCC pushed across the go-ahead run in the bottom half of the inning on Leon Brasington's sacrifice fly.
The Warhawks notched a 7-3 non-conference win at Faulkner State Tuesday in a game where they outhit the Sun Chiefs 15-4.
JDCC got all the offense it needed with a five-run second inning, which was capped off by a two-run homer by Brasington.
Chet McDonough had three hits to lead JDCC, Brasington, Kris Metcalf and Chris Good all had two.
Tuesday's game
JDCC 050 100 001 – 7 15 0
F. State 000 0021 000 – 3 4 1
Friday's game one
Al. South. 100 102 0 – 4 10 0
JDCC 000 041 X – 5 8 2
Game two
Al. South. 000 000 02 – 2 6 1
JDCC 000 000 00 – 0 4 0