By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
With two-thirds of the Alabama Community College Conference season still left, there is still time for the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks baseball team to right the ship.
At the same time, the window is closing rapidly on JDCC's chances of getting in the hunt for one of the south division's three playoff berths.
The window closed some more Sunday when the Warhawks dropped a pair of games at home to the nation's 17th-ranked team, the Alabama Southern Eagles, by scores of 7-5 in the opener and 5-0 in game two. Those setbacks left JDCC with just a 1-9 record in ACCC play and dropped them three games below .500 overall at 15-18.
Alabama Southern (13-2 in the ACCC and 32-5 overall) had little trouble bouncing back from Thursday's loss to the Warhawks, which was just the Eagles' second setback in 29 games. Alabama Southern never trailed in Sunday's twinbill.
The Eagles broke through against JDCC starter Adam Reed in the second inning of game one when Jordie Perriloux's RBI single gave Alabama Southern a 1-0 lead. The biggest blow of the game came one inning later when Gabe Gattis' three-run homer off Reed extended the lead to 4-0.
Gattis drove home his fourth run of the game in the top of the fourth inning when his RBI double gave Alabama Southern a 5-0 lead.
JDCC was able to cut into that deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning with a three-run rally. Singles by David Washington, Jeremy White and Steven Bingert loaded the bases. Those hits set up a sacrifice fly by Brandon Sapp, and a two-run double by Jamar Bryant that made it 5-3.
An unearned run in the top of the sixth allowed the Eagles to extend their lead to 6-3, but the Warhawks edged even closer in the bottom half of the frame. Ryan Gray singled and Bingert was struck by a pitch before Sapp hit into a fielder's choice. Bryant picked up his third and fourth RBIs of the game when his two-run single plated Gray and Sapp to make it 6-5.
Former T.R. Miller Tiger Jacob Salter gave Alabama Southern a little insurance in the top of the seventh inning when his RBI single drove home Perriloux to make it 7-5.
JDCC threatened in the bottom half of the seventh inning when Jesse Edwards and Washington both singled with one out, but White hit into a double play to end the game.
The Warhawks were never able to break through against Alabama Southern pitcher Brandon Whitaker in game two. The lefthander struck out just one, but he allowed only four hits.
The Eagles slowly pecked away at JDCC starting hurler Ronnie Baker and reliever Kyle Reed over the first six innings.
Alabama Southern got the only run it needed in the top of the second when a two-out error opened the door for an RBI single by A.J. Prickel.
The Eagles made it 2-0 in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Tyler Jennings, and an RBI single by Gattis and an RBI groundout by Jerimie Gates doubled the advantage to 4-0 in the fifth. Salter singled, stole second and scored on an RBI single in the top of the sixth to make it 5-0.
Three of JDCC's four hits for the game came in succession in the bottom of the sixth when singles by White, Gray and Jesse Edwards loaded the bases with two out. Whitaker escaped the only real threat he faced when he fanned Sapp to end the inning.
The Warhawks started another ACCC south division set Tuesday at Wallace State-Dothan. That series will continue Thursday at JDCC where the teams will hook up in a 1 p.m. nine-inning game. The series concludes Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader. Those games will also be played in Brewton.
Game one
Al. Southern 013 101 1 – 7 13 0
JDCC 000 302 0 – 5 8 2
Game two
Al. Southern 010 122 0 – 5 7 1
JDCC 000 000 0 – 0 4 3