By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
Tim Horne, Michael Maraldo and Harrison Szuch did not make many mistakes, but the problem for the Jefferson Davis Community College Warhawks pitching trio is they could not afford any.
Parkland, Ill. Cobras pitcher Ryan Lantz kept the JDCC hitters off balance the entire game, as he spun a six-hitter and led his team to a 3-0 victory at Warhawk Field Monday.
The loss was JDCC's third straight and seventh in its last seven games. Parkland improved to 5-2 on its southern trip and 10-4 overall.
The Cobras got the only run they needed in the top of the first inning when Zach Skidmore hit a two-out single and Will Gaff hit a double off Horne that scored Skidmore all the way from first base.
Parkland doubled that lead to 2-0 in the top of the second inning when Broc Litherland led off the inning with a solo homerun.
Maraldo threw three scoreless innings of relief after Horne went the first three frames, but Parkland got to Szuch for a run in his first inning of work in the seventh inning. Joel Perez hit a one-out double and scored on a single by Tom Norris to make it 3-0.
The Warhawks had some chances to break through against Lantz. Ryan Kelley drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the first inning and Jeremy White singled with two out, but Lantz got out of the inning when he got Daniel Hodge to fly out.
JDCC got a pair of hits in the bottom of the fifth. Ben Green led off the frame with a single, but pinchrunner Joseph Spraggins was thrown out trying to steal. Two batters later Jesse Edwards doubled, but Lantz ended the threat when he got Steven Bingert to ground out.
JDCC also had two runners reach base in the bottom of the eighth. Hodge was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Ryan Snedeker hit into a fielder's choice and Green flew out, but David Washington kept the rally alive with a two-out single. Lantz got out of his last serious jam when he got Jesse Edwards to pop up for the third out.
JDCC, which played at Huntingdon College Tuesday, gets back into Alabama Community College Conference action Friday when it hosts Enterprise for a nine-inning game that gets underway at 1 p.m. The teams conclude the series Saturday with a 12 noon doubleheader.
At JDCC
Parkland 110 000 100 – 3 11 1
JDCC 000 000 000 – 0 6 1