Bulldogs end season at ICC

PHOTO BY LEE ADAMS/LETSGOICC.COM

FULTON — The line at the end of the day didn't look like a blowout, but Mississippi Gulf Coast's postseason series and season against No. 16 Itawamba ended earlier than expected.

The Bulldogs matched ICC in hits and made one fewer error, yet still found themselves on the short end of a 9-1 loss Saturday in eight innings.

"We didn't bunch them together," Gulf Coast coach Wes Thigpen said. "We had first-and-second a couple times, but just couldn't put it together. These guys fought for us all year. It's been a crazy year with all the sacrifices they had to make with COVID, to be disciplined and not do what normal college kids do every other year. It's an outstanding group."

Itawamba (25-13) swept the NJCAA Region 23 qualifying series in two games to earn a trip at Pearl River for the regional in two weeks. LSU Eunice will join Meridian, East Central and Hinds in the field.

The Bulldogs (20-21) saw big fifth innings both days do them in. ICC scored four times in the frame in a 5-2 win Friday night, then got six Saturday. That put them up 8-0.

P.J. Harrison (Fr., Gulfport/Harrison Central) followed a triple by Tucker Thomas (So., Biloxi/Biloxi) with a single in the seventh for the only Gulf Coast run.

Harrison was the only Bulldog with two hits. Gulf Coast and Itawamba finished with eight hits, with a double by Ethan Coleman (Fr., Lucedale/George County) and a Thomas' triple nearly matching ICC of total bases that included a pair of doubles and a homer.

A trio of Gulf Coast pitchers issued three more walks than Itawamba's Coleton Ausburn, who struck out seven without a walk in a complete game.

"Like I told them, you always come up short if you don't win the national championship, but you've got to look back at the big picture and all you've accomplished," said the second-year coach. "It hurts right now, but this is a special group that I'll always remember for being our first group to finish a season."

NJCAA Region 23 Qualifying

Friday-Saturday, May 7-8

Higher seeds host

Best-of-three series

Friday

No. 2 Meridian 8, No. 9 Copiah-Lincoln 5 (MCC leads 1-0)

No. 3 East Central 5, No. 8 Northwest 4 (ECCC leads 1-0)

No. 4 Itawamba 5, Gulf Coast 2 (ICC leads 1-0)

No. 6 Jones 7, No. 5 Hinds 4 (JC leads 1-0)

Saturday

Meridian 10, Copiah-Lincoln 0 (MCC wins series, 2-0)

East Central 13, Northwest 5 (ECCC wins series, 2-0)

Itawamba 9, Gulf Coast 1 (ICC wins series, 2-0)

Hinds 9, Jones 4 (Series tied, 1-1)

Hinds 13, Jones 5 (HCC wins series, 2-1)

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.