Marion, AL. – The MMI baseball team won the final two games of the four-game series against Wallace Community College-Selma to take the series 4-0.

Game 3 MMI 11 WCCS 2

Jerry McDowell took the mound to start game three of the four game series, earning the win. In six innings, he gave up nine hits, two runs, and three walks with three strikeouts. Alex Holland worked an inning in relief for Marion, giving up two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Marion scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning to take an early lead. Corbin Driskell reached on an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  With two outs, Rile Friend singled up the middle to score Driskell. Friend stole second and Sean Nichols walked. Friend stole third and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

WCCS added a run in the fourth inning, but Marion rallied for six runs in the bottom half of the inning. Oliver Morris walked and Friend doubled to right field. Nichols reached on an infield error, scoring Morris and Friend. Hayden Markfort was hit by a pitch and Patrick Eichelberger walked to load the bases. Jon Hyde walked, scoring a run. Christian Files hit a sac fly to left field, scoring Markfort. Driskell was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Morris singled to left field, scoring two runs.

Selma added a run in the top of the fifth inning. The Tigers added three more runs in the inning to extend the lead to 11-2. Nichols, Markfort, and Eichelberger were hit by a pitch. Hyde singled to plate two runs. Files hit another sac fly to left field, scoring Eichelberger.

Game 4 MMI 11 WCCS 9

Wallace CC-Selma scored in their first at-bat to take an early 1-0 lead before the Tigers added four runs in the bottom half of the first inning. Eichelberger reached on an infield singled, and Leyton Coffman walked. Christian Files walked; Patrick Eichelberger and Coffman scored on wild pitches. Bodie Giddiens singled to left field and Parker Johnson walked to load the bases. Oliver Morris hit a sac fly to center field, scoring Files.  Riley Friend's fielder's choice allowed Giddiens to score Marion's fourth run.

After both teams were held scoreless in the second inning, the Patriots added two runs in the third inning. Once again, Marion answered with a run in their turn at the plate. Giddiens led off with a walk. Johnson followed with a walk and Morris laid a bunt to load the bases. Giddiens scored on a  fielder's choice off the bat of Friend.

Each team plated a run in the fourth inning; Marion up 6-4.  Hayden Markfort singled to right field and Eichelberger sacrificed him to second base. An infield error off the bat of Coffman allowed Markfort to score.

The fifth inning saw the Patriots take a 7-6 lead, adding three runs. MMI added five runs to the lead back after their turn at the plate; Tigers up 11-7. Johnson singled to right field to lead off the inning for the MMI. Morris and Friend were both hit by a pitch to load the bases. Haldyn Williams singled to right field, scoring two runs. A ground rule double off the bat of Markfort put runners on second and third for Marion; Williams scored on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Files singled down third base line, scoring Markfort.

WCCS scored twice in the top of the seventh inning, but freshman hurler Jon Hyde was able to get a couple of ground outs to secure the win. Hyde gave up one hit, two runs (none earned) with two walks and a strikeout.

Drew Vaughn started for MMI and after 2.1 innings of work was relieved by Austin Allen. Vaughn gave up five hits and three runs while Allen gave up five hits, four runs (one earned) while striking out two batters.