MEMPHIS, Tenn. --- Mississippi College baseball split its Gulf South Conference, Friday doubleheader against Christian Brothers on Friday, April 3. MC (23-15, 16-8 GSC) claimed the series with a 13-6 victory in the series finale after the first game saw a late scoring run from the Buccaneers (10-26, 5-9 GSC) snap the Choctaws' five-game win streak with an 11-1 victory.
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In the opener, MC struck first in the fifth inning when
Will Langston doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Jake LaRocca for a 1-0 lead. However, CBU quickly answered, capitalizing on a hit batter, a wild pitch, and a two-run single by Ivan Zambrano to seize a 4-1 advantage. The Bucs broke the game open in the sixth with Isaac Lemanski's two-run home run, adding three more runs in the inning to extend their lead to 8-1. They capped the scoring with three additional runs in the seventh.
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Langston led the Choctaws at the plate with three hits, including two doubles, while
Creek Robertson added a pair of doubles.
Coby Gollott (5-3) took the loss, allowing seven earned runs over five innings despite striking out seven.
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In the second game, MC bounced back with a strong performance, overcoming control issues to roll past the Red and Black, clinching its sixth GSC series of the season. The Choctaws scored 13 runs on just five hits, drawing a season-high 16 walks and collecting four doubles for the second consecutive game and third time this season.
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Cade Gadman led the way with a double, two RBI, and two runs scored, while
JT Thigpen also doubled and drove in two runs.
Alex Johnson reached base four times via three walks and scored a season-high four runs.
Jake LaRocca contributed with a double, two RBI, three walks, and two runs scored.
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MC broke the game open early, plating five runs in the second inning, highlighted by Gadman's two-run double and Thigpen's subsequent two-run double to take a 5-1 lead. They added another run in the third on
Tyler Sanderson's RBI double. The Choctaws extended their lead in the sixth, capitalizing on walks, a hit batter, and a fielding error to score four runs, including two driven in by
Kelby Jordan on an error. MC added three more runs in the seventh, aided by additional walks and a wild pitch.
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CBU collected 13 hits but stranded 12 runners and committed four errors. The Choctaws' pitching staff, despite allowing 13 hits, limited the damage, with
Kamryn Carlisle providing two innings of steady relief, allowing just one run without issuing a walk.
Cooper Cooksey (2-2) grabbed the victory with two innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, paired with four walks and two of the staff's three strikeouts.
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Mississippi College has now won eight of its last 10 games in Memphis.
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The Choctaws return home to face West Alabama at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, April 7.
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