By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
A lot can happen over the course of the 30-game Alabama Community College Conference baseball season. That part of it is good news for the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks because one thing has already been determined in their first three league games.
They have some catching up to do.
JDCC dropped its third decision in three days to the L.B. Wallace Saints Thursday when they were on the wrong end of a 10-0, eight-inning decision in Andalusia.
L.B. Wallace had just a 1-0 lead through six innings before the Saints started to pull away with a five-run seventh inning. Four more L.B. Wallace runs in the eighth inning ended the game on the mercy rule.
The Warhawks (11-12) managed just four hits and two of those came from Bubba Mack. Ryan Gray and Jeremy White divided the other two with one each.
JDCC starter Alex Granade took the loss although he gave up just one run over three and one-third innings.
JDCC began its ACCC season on a frustrating note Tuesday when the Saints swept both ends of a doubleheader in Brewton with a 2-1 triumph in game one and a 10-8 victory in game two.
The Warhawks wasted a strong game one pitching performance from starter Tim Horne and relievers Jonathan Milling and Kyle Reed, as they allowed only seven hits.
Horne was touched for an unearned run in the top of the second and Reed hit a batter with the bases loaded in the seventh to force in another run to make it 2-0.
Despite being shut down at the plate most of the game, the Warhawks nearly pulled the game out in the bottom of the seventh inning.
JDCC got a leadoff double from Bubba Mack. After Stephen Bingert and Jamar Bryant were retired, David Washington cut the Saints lead in half with an RBI single. That was as far as the rally went, as Jesse Edwards flew out one batter later to end the game.
The Warhawks squandered a seven-run lead they built in the first inning in the game two loss.
JDCC sent a dozen batters to the plate in the opening inning when they took their initial 7-0 lead. Jamar Bryant had the biggest blow of the inning with a two-run homer, but the Warhawks also got a two-run single from Kenny McDonald and RBI singles from Ryan Gray and Brandon Sapp.
After they racked up those seven runs on seven hits in the first inning, JDCC scored just once more and had only four more hits the rest of the game.
Warhawks starter Adam Reed worked a pair of scoreless innings and Ronnie Baker allowed just one run over three frames and left with a 7-1 lead.
Three hits and a key error led to four L.B. Wallace four runs in the sixth and cut JDCC's lead to 7-5.
An RBI single by Gray in the bottom half of the inning gave the Warhawks what figured to be a key insurance run and stretched their cushion up to 8-5.
It turned out not to be enough, as a triple, a pair of singles, a walk and most important three errors in as many plays led to five runs and put the Saints up 10-8.
good team like LBW or any team giving them that many runs.”
The Warhawks, who completed their five-game set against L.B. Wallace with a twinbill in Andalusia Saturday, are off until Friday when they step out of ACCC division play for a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Central Alabama.
Tuesday's game one
LB Wallace 010 000 0 – 2 7 2
JDCC 000 000 1 – 1 6 4
Game two
LB Wallace 000 104 5 – 10 6 4
JDCC 700 001 0 – 8 11 4
Thursday's game
JDCC 000 000 00 – 0 4 2
LB Wallace 000 100 54 – 10 14 1