Baseball Splits DH in Home Opener
Marion, AL. – The MMI Tigers split their home doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at home against the Lawson State CC Cougars. Marion will be back in action this weekend as they travel to Decatur, Mississippi to take on East Central Community College in a three-game series.
Game 1 MMI 7 LSCC 5
Lawson State scored two runs in the top of the second inning to take an early lead, but MMI added four runs during the bottom half of the inning. Colby Thacker led off by getting hit by a pitch, and advanced to second on a passed ball. Harrison McPherson hit into a fielder's choice and after LSCC tried to get Thacker out at third, McPherson gave the home team two runners on base. Wyatt Smith singled to left field, scoring the Tiger's first run. Seth Frantz walked to load the bases. Andrew House was hit by a pitch, scoring McPherson. Alex Bradford hit into a double play, scoring a run. Jacob Smithson got his second hit of the game scoring the fourth run of the inning.
After Dalton Grace held the Cougars scoreless in the third inning, Marion added three more runs in their at-bat. Wesley Chappell walked, stole second, and advanced to third base on a passed ball. McPherson doubled down the third base line, scoring Chappell. Smith added a base hit through the five-six hole. After Lawson changed pitchers, Frantz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. An infield error during House's at-bat allowed two more runs to cross the plate.
Lawson State added another run in the fifth inning and two more in the top of the seventh inning before Nicholas Blaszczak got a flyout to the shortstop and a ground ball to the third baseman to end the game.
Game 2 MMI 5 LSCC 10
Marion got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the second inning when Harrison McPherson and Seth Frantz started the inning with back-to-back hit by pitches. A bloop single by Andrew House earned him first base and after McPherson was thrown out at the plate, the Tigers had runners on first and third. An infield error during Ashton Wasielewski's at-bat scored the first run. William Keller walked and after House advanced to third base, he scored on a passed ball.
LSCC added a run in the third inning to cut Marion's lead to 2-1. After the Tigers were held scoreless in their turn at the plate, the Cougars added four runs in the fourth inning to take a 5-2 lead. The visitors from Birmingham, Alabama added another run in the sixth and four in the seventh inning to take a 10-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning.
Keller walked with two outs in MMI's last plate appearance and advanced to second on a balk. Jacob Smithson walked and an infield error off the bat of Alex Bradford scored one run. Wesley Chappell singled to score two runs to cut the lead to 10-5 but a strikeout by the Tigers ended the rally.