By By BRUCE HIXON Sports Editor
They have played 47 games so far, but now it will be an eight-game, two-week sprint to the finish line for the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks.
JDCC and Alabama Southern enter the final two weeks of Alabama Community College Conference south division play deadlocked for the top spot. Perhaps fittingly, those teams will play back-to-back doubleheaders against each other in the final four games of the regular season.
Although the Warhawks (15-7 in the ACCC and 35-12 overall) had to settle for a four-game split against Bishop State over Thursday through Saturday, they were able to pull even with Alabama Southern when the Eagles lost three of four to L.B. Wallace.
JDCC's four-game series against Bishop State began with a 5-2 win over the Wildcats in Brewton Thursday.
The Warhawks were held to just six hits, but four of those came in a four-run sixth inning that wiped out a 2-1 Bishop State lead. Charlie Sutton and Charles Conklin both had RBI singles in that inning, while Kyle McPherson got a run in on a groundout and Robert Brown had an RBI fielder's choice.
Jimbo Bunch scattered six hits and struck out nine in a complete game win.
Rain postponed Thursday's second game until Friday when Bishop State raced out to a 7-0 lead in the first three innings and held on for a 14-13 win.
JDCC wasted big individual games from Brian Hannah and Chris Good. Hannah had two singles, a double a solo homerun and three RBIs. Good had a single, a two-run double and a three-run homer. Micah Leopard had two singles and scored four runs. McPherson had a pair of doubles.
Starter Kyle Porter took the loss with two and two-thirds innings of work.
When the teams hooked up in Mobile Saturday, Bishop State claimed a 9-5 victory in the first game.
JDCC hit three homeruns in defeat courtesy of a solo shot by Good, a solo shot by Burkett and a two-run blow by McPherson.
Jason Moore started and took the loss, as he fanned six over three and two-thirds innings.
The Warhawks scored the game's first seven runs in game two when they rebounded for an 11-1, five-inning win.
Burkett paced an 11-hit attack with a double, a triple and four RBIs. Good had two singles and drove in two runs. R.J. Thompson also had two hits.
Brown twirled a complete game three-hitter with six strikeouts for the victory.
JDCC heads to Enterprise-Ozark Thursday for a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Those teams then hook up again Saturday in Brewton at 1 p.m. for another pair.
Thursday's game
Bishop St. 001 100 0 – 2 6 1
JDCC 001 004 X – 5 6 2
Friday's game
Bishop St. 106 005 2 – 14 15 1
JDCC 002 043 4 – 13 13 2
Saturday's game one
JDCC 010 310 0 – 5 7 2
Bishop State 320 211 X – 9 8 0
Game two
JDCC 232 31 – 11 11 1
Bishop State 001 00 – 1 3 1