By By BRUCE HIXON – Sports Editor
It was a small step the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks baseball team hopes will lead to a big finish.
JDCC assured itself of its first series victory in Alabama Community College Conference play this season when it edged the visiting Bishop State Wildcats 4-3 in 10 innings Thursday. It was the Warhawks third straight win in the series after JDCC had dropped 14 of its first 15 league games.
The Warhawks (18-23 overall and 4-14 in the ACCC) came from behind on three occasions before they overcame the Wildcats in extra innings.
Ryan Gray's RBI single in the bottom of the third tied the game at 1-1. JDCC later got an RBI single by Jeremy White in the sixth that tied the game at 2-2, and Kenny McDonald's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth tied the game again at 3-3.
The Warhawks pulled the game out in the bottom of the 10th when Steven Bingert led off with a double. Gray then doubled him home to win it.
JDCC starter Tim Horne recorded the longest stint of the season by a Warhawks pitcher, as he worked nine and two-thirds innings. Horne scattered eight hits and struck out four. All Horne got for his labor was a no-decision. Reliever Adam Reed retired the lone batter he faced in the 10th inning and got the win.
The Warhawks snapped a seven-game losing streak Tuesday with a sweep of the Wildcats in Mobile.
JDCC came from behind to win in both games, as it notched a 6-5 victory in game one and an 8-7 triumph in the nightcap.
The Warhawks trailed 3-2 until the top of the fourth inning when David Washington drove home Bubba Mack with a sacrifice fly. JDCC took the lead for good one inning later when Brandon Sapp's solo homerun put the Warhawks up 4-3. A two-run single by Ryan Gray in the top of the sixth bumped the lead up to 6-3. It also gave JDCC enough cushion to withstand the two runs Bishop State scored in the bottom of the sixth.
Warhawks starting pitcher Ronnie Baker worked the first four and one-third inning for the win. Kyle Reed went the final two and two-thirds for the save.
One bad inning nearly beat JDCC in game two. Bishop State scored all seven of its runs in the second inning and wiped out what had been a 3-0 lead by the Warhawks on the strength of Jake Bonds' three-run homer.
JDCC stormed back in the top of the sixth with a decisive five-run outburst to take an 8-7 lead. Kenny McDonald started the scoring with a solo homer and ended it with an RBI single. The Warhawks got RBI singles by Nathan Hughes and Steven Bingert, and a bases loaded walk to Ryan Gray in between.
Jonathan Milling hurled five and one-third innings of scoreless relief to get the win. Milling allowed only four hits during that stint.
JDCC starts another ACCC series Tuesday when it hosts Enterprise-Ozark for a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Tuesday's game one
JDCC 200 112 0 – 6 12 3
Bishop State 300 002 0 – 5 7 1
Game two
JDCC 030 005 0 – 8 12 0
Bishop State 070 000 0 – 7 11 0
Thursday's game
Bishop St. 100 100 010 0 – 3 8 1
JDCC 001 001 010 1 – 4 11 1