By Staff
Staff reports
Barring a postseason meeting, the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks baseball team has seen the last of the L.B. Wallace Saints for this season.
That is probably a good thing after L.B. Wallace (24-5 overall and 5-0 in the Alabama Community College Conference) completed a five-game sweep Saturday with a 10-3 victory in the front end of a doubleheader played at Andalusia and an 8-2 decision in game two.
"It's tough when you continue to lay everything out on the line and you get beat, but L.B. Wallace is a good team. Right now they along with Alabama Southern are emerging as the teams to beat after the opening week," JDCC coach Darrell Blevins said. "We just have to regroup because we still have a lot of ball yet to play."
JDCC (11-14 overall and 0-5 in the ACCC) fell behind 4-0 in the first three innings of game one, but the Warhawks pulled within a run in the top of the fourth inning when they scored all three of their runs.
Singles by Jeremy White, David Hand and Nathan Evans loaded the bases and set up a two-run single by David Washington. A passed ball then allowed Evans to score and cut the gap to 4-3.
Not only did JDCC fail to score again, it was unable to keep the Saints within striking distance. L.B. Wallace picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth, but the Saints broke the game open with a five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth that increased the advantage to 10-3.
Ryan Gray and White both had a pair of hits to lead the Warhawks. Brandon Sapp, Jake Bonds, Hand, Evans and Washington all added one.
JDCC starter Ronnie Baker suffered the loss, as he was touched for four runs in three innings of work.
In game two, the Warhawks came within one out of being no-hit by a combination of four L.B. Wallace pitchers.
Despite its lack of hitting, JDCC made a bid to win the game.
The Warhawks took a 2-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning when Bubba Mack was hit by a pitch and both Hand and Ben Green walked to load the bases. Evans also walked to force Mack home and Hand scored on a wild pitch.
The Saints had just one hit in the first three innings against Warhawks starting hurler Tim Horne, but the Saints got to him and then reliever Jonathan Milling for six hits and six runs in the bottom of the fourth to move in front 6-2. L.B. Wallace later got a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth that stretched its cushion to 8-2.
The lone hit for the Warhawks did not come until there were two outs in the top of the seventh inning when Jeremy White singled.
"Outside of the single contest we played last Thursday (where L.B. Wallace won 10-0), we were in just about every game. Some of them got away from us in the late innings, but we were right there. In the first game of this doubleheader, we left some runners in scoring position in the opener and we had some errors that hurt us in game two," Blevins said.
The Warhawks step out of ACCC south division play Friday when they travel to Central Alabama. The teams will complete the March 14 game that was suspended after eight innings with the score tied at 2-2 at 12 noon followed by the scheduled doubleheader.
Game one
JDCC 000 300 0 – 3 9 3
LB Wallace 301 015 X – 10 13 2
Game two
JDCC 000 200 0 – 2 1 5
LB Wallace 000 602 X – 8 11 1