MOORHEAD – The 2021 season has gotten underway for the Mississippi Delta Community College baseball program, and the Trojans have gotten off to a nice start under first-year head coach Luke Stanley.
MDCC played host to Itawamba Community College on Wednesday in Moorhead, and despite dropping game one 10-2, the Trojans came back and grabbed an emotional 4-2 victory over the Indians in the nightcap.
Delta was on the road for the season opener in Goodman on Friday, Jan. 29, where they split an Opening Day doubleheader with Holmes Community College. MDCC lost game one, 11-9, but the bats came out in a big way to lead to a 14-2 victory in the second game. The doubleheader splits have the Trojans sitting at 2-2 on the young season.
GAME 2 vs. ICC
In Wednesday's second game against ICC, it was the pitching duo of freshmen Haden Luke (Vicksburg) and Blayne Clark (Water Valley) that set the tone for the win, as both were making their collegiate debuts on the mound. Luke (1-0) grabbed the win after tossing four innings and allowing only four hits and two runs, while picking up four strikeouts. Clark was lights out in earning his first save, as he threw three scoreless frames and struck out three Indian hitters, while allowing only two hits.
The Trojans only had five hits in Wednesday's nightcap, but they were timely. Davon Mims (Vicksburg) had a two-RBI double in the second inning to push MDCC out to a 3-0 lead, and Gage Little (Duck Hill) hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to give Delta a 4-2 lead and a much-needed insurance run.
GAME 1 vs. ICC
The two teams were tied at zero going into the fourth inning of Wednesday's opening game, but the Indians dominated the middle innings to claim the 10-2 win. Luke Smith (Picayune) picked up the loss on the hill to fall to 0-1 on the year.
Carson Chapman (Flowood), Julian Murphy (Ridgeland) and Eli Stallings (Boyle) all had two hits in the first game to lead the 10-hit charge, with Murphy adding an RBI as well.
GAME 2 vs. HOLMES
In the season opening doubleheader at Holmes on Jan. 29, the Trojans were led by a career day from Little, who was 5-5 with three doubles, five RBI, five runs scored, one walk and one HBP in the two-game set.
He was helped by Stallings and Kieran Theriot (Vicksburg), who each had two hits in the nightcap of the opener. Clark and Chapman both had two RBI in the second game, one in which the Trojans took an 8-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back en route to a 14-2 win.
Landon Comer (Wellington, Ala.) was fabulous in his collegiate debut, as the freshman right-hander tossed four innings and allowed only one run to cross. He struck out three, while allowing just three hits to move to 1-0 on the season.
Thomas Putnam (Inverness) threw the fifth and final inning to make his collegiate debut as well, striking out one hitter and allowing one run to score.
GAME 1 vs. HOLMES
MDCC picked up 11 hits and nine runs in the first game of the season at Holmes, but it was not enough to hold down a potent Holmes offense that helped defeat the Trojans, 11-9.
Little had three hits and three RBI in his Moorhead debut, and Stallings helped the cause with two hits and two RBI of his own.
Casey Burge (Lumberton) took the loss in relief to fall to 0-1 in 2021.
COMING UP
MDCC was set to host Coahoma Community College on Saturday, but the doubleheader has been postponed. A make-up date will be announced in the near future.
The Trojans were also scheduled to travel back to Goodman on Tuesday for a doubleheader at Holmes, but the series has been moved to March 30.
For more on MDCC Athletics and any other schedule changes, go to www.mdcctrojans.com and follow us on Twitter and Facebook at MDCCAthletics.