Indians Use Six-Run Fifth to Salvage Split Against Co-Lin

FULTON, Miss. - Itawamba answered a wild opener with a steadier finish Saturday, riding a six-run fifth inning to an 8-4 Game 2 win over Co-Lin and salvaging a split after the Wolves took Game 1 by a 21-13 score.

Game 2: Indians 8, Co-Lin 4

The second game started in Co-Lin's favor, but ICC made sure the comeback held.

The Wolves scored in each of the first three innings and moved in front 4-1. ICC got one run back in the second when Tyler Pickens ripped a triple off the wall in center to score Jack Cummings, then added another in the fourth on Cummings' RBI single that brought home Will Caviness.

Down 4-2 going to the bottom of the fifth, the Indians finally broke the game open.

Daniel Whitfield scored first in the inning on Reid Kent's RBI single to cut the deficit to one. Moments later, Madden Butler lined a single to left to bring home Brody Thompson and tie the game at 4-4. The biggest swing came next. Caviness drove a bases-loaded double to left that cleared the bases and pushed ICC in front 7-4 as Cannon Graham, Kent and Butler all scored on the play.

Caviness later came home on a passed ball before the inning ended, capping a six-run outburst that turned a two-run deficit into an 8-4 lead.

From there, ICC let its pitching take over. Solomon Smith worked six innings to earn the win, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one. Andrew Williams closed the door in the seventh with a three up, three down inning.

"Game 2 was a completely different team in my opinion," Coach Slater Lott said. "Solomon on the mound was on the attack constantly. Even when he got punched, he was right back in the zone and really settled in. Andrew was outstanding yet again in relief. I'm proud of our team, we are going to keep punching."

Game 1: Co-Lin 21, Indians 13

The opener turned into a back-and-forth slugfest almost from the start, with Co-Lin jumping out early before ICC kept answering at the plate.

The Wolves scored six in the first two innings and built an 8-2 lead before the Indians started trimming it down. Butler got ICC on the board with a two-run homer in the first, then Kent lined a three-run double in the second to bring the Indians back within 8-5.

ICC kept chipping away. Caviness lifted a sacrifice fly in the third, then the Indians pulled even closer in the fourth when Graham ripped a two-run single to center that made it 9-8.

Co-Lin added three more in the fifth to stretch the margin again, but ICC had another answer waiting in the sixth.

That inning looked like the turning point. Kent opened the rally with an RBI single, Graham followed with a two-run homer to right and Brody Thompson added a solo shot to tie the game at 12-12. Later in the inning, ICC grabbed its first lead since the opening frame when Caviness came home on Bryson Jackson's sacrifice bunt to put the Indians in front 13-12.

But the lead did not last. Co-Lin responded immediately in the seventh, using a grand slam to swing the game back in its favor at 16-13. The Wolves added insurance from there, including a three-run homer to close out the opener.

"I thought Lowery was our one solid spot on the mound in Game 1," Lott said. "Our offense did what they've done all year and found a way to claw back over and over again. I'm really proud of the fact we are always on the hunt offensively."

Up next, the Indians will travel to Booneville to take on rival Northeast.

"We are excited to go over to Booneville on Tuesday," Lott said. "It should be a good environment and we look forward to lacing up the spikes when we get there."

The Guaranty Bank opening pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and the games will be available on NEMCCTV.com/blackchannel.