By By SCOTT COOPER – Sports Writer
Although still needing a strong finish and some help along the way to realize their goal of making the conference playoffs, the Jefferson Davis remained in the running with an April 26 double-header split against the league-leading Lurleen B. Wallace Saints.
With only two games left within the conference, the Warhawks are 17-27 overall and 8-14 against conference competition. Seeking the last of four spots available for the tournament that begins May 10, JDCC needs a couple of wins in their final conference games to have a shot at continuing play into the postseason.
LBW 10, Warhawks 6
In Saturday's opener against the Saints played at Warhawks Field, JDCC built a 6-1 lead midway through the game before the visitors rallied for the win.
After the Saints grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, the Warhawks came right back to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning. Josh Hasty started things off with a double and later crossed the plate on Steven Cadenhead's sacrifice fly that deadlocked the game, 1-1.
Following a scoreless second inning, the Warhawks' offense warmed-up in the bottom of the third. Leon Brasington's RBI single along with a two-RBI base hit from Jack Schwartz were the highlights of a five-run barrage that placed JDCC out front, 6-1.
LBW then proceeded to get untracked offensively and take control of the game. Scoring two unanswered runs in the fourth inning and five more in the sixth, the Saints overtook the lead at 8-6 before closing out a 10-6 win by moving a couple more baserunners home in the seventh.
Leaders at the plate for the Warhawks were Josh Hasty, 2-for-3 and Jack Schwartz, 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Warhawks 7, LBW 6
Feeling their backs against the wall as they entered the nightcap, the Warhawks responded by doing what was necessary to secure a win that kept their playoffs hopes alive.
JDCC wasted little time gaining the upper hand, as a bottom of the first inning rally accounted for three runs. Josh Hasty reached on a single before moving home a couple of batters later on Steven Cadenhead's sacrifice fly. After Jack Schwartz and Steven Walls singled to keep things going, Dustin Holtzclaw delivered a two-RBI base hit that moved the Warhawks into a 3-0 lead.
LBW answered with a three-run homer that knotted the score in the top of the third, but then JDCC reassumed the lead at 5-3 on Rob Mosley's two-RBI single in the bottom half of the inning.
In the fourth inning, LBW edged closer at 5-4 after scoring a run. However, the Warhawks regained the two-run cushion at 6-4 with a rally ignited by Hasty's single and score on a fielder's choice later in the inning.
Showing why they are the conference leaders, the Saints fought back to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Manufacturing two runs, LBW knotted the score at 7-7 to force the Warhawks to come through on the offensive end in the bottom of the inning.
Realizing they needed run production to prevent the contest from being extended past regulation, the Warhawks came through in the clutch. Steven Walls reached on a single before moving to second base on a wild pitch. Walls then stole third base and then moved home on an error to give JDCC a 7-6 win and a twin bill split.
Eli Himes notched the win in a last-inning relief role.
Leading the Warhawks' offense were Rob Mosley, 2-for-3 with three RBIs; Dustin Holtzclaw, 2-for-3 and Josh Hasty, 2-for-4.