Tigers and Bisons Split Final Two Games of Series

Tigers and Bisons Split Final Two Games of Series

Marion, AL.  Friday afternoon, the MMI Tigers and Southern Union State CC Bisons squared off in the final two games of their ACCC series.  The first game went to the visitors from Wadley, Alabama, 2-12, with the home squad taking the final game, 9-0.

Game 1 - The Bisons scored early and often to take the first game of the doubleheader.  They tallied one run in the first before MMI rallied with two runs in the second inning to take their only lead of the game, 2-1.  Landon Sartain singled to left field. Logan Nix reached on an infield hit and Jonah Todd brought in two with a double to left field. 

SU added two runs in the third and fourth innings to put them up 2-5.  They added one in the sixth, three in the seventh and three more in the eighth to take the lopsided win.

Dennis McKinley started on the mound for Marion with Bailey Tidwell, Ryan Burkett, and Lane Dickerson seeing action in relief.

Game 2 - Freshman Conner Bell took to the mound in game two of the doubleheader and held the Bisons scoreless in four innings of work.  Bell got into some trouble in the fifth inning, loading the bases with no outs, but freshman reliever Hunter Orr came shut down the Bison threat with three straight outs.  Sophomore Chad Robinson shut the doors in the seventh inning, securing the victory for Marion.

Marion scored twice in the bottom of the second inning.  Cole Lepchitz led the inning off with a single to center field.  Sartain bunted Lepchitz over to second and beat out the throw to give the home squad two runners on base.  Carson McGregory sacrificed the runners into scoring position for Logan Nix who hit a bloop single, scoring Lepchitz.  James Mills bunted in Sartain.

The Tigers added one run in the third inning after McGregory led off with a single to center field. Nix laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line to give Marion two runners on base. Mills sacrificed the runners into scoring position for Jonah Todd, who delivered with a single to score McGregory.

Back to back base hits from Lepchitz and Sartain allowed Marion to add additional runs in the fifth inning.  Nix singled with two outs to score Lepchitz and a hard shot down third base by Mills scored Sartain.

Four more runs in the sixth inning gave Marion the lopsided victory and the 2-2 split in the series.  Zachary Neumann led off the inning, reaching base on a Bison error.  Mason Gilliland slipped under the tag at first and Logan Taylor was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Lepchitz delivered with a base hit which scored Neumann and Gilliland.  Sartain popped out to center field, moving Taylor to third base.  McGregory singled up the middle to bring in Taylor. Nix was hit by a pitch to load the bases again.  Mills brought in Lepchitz in the next at-bat.