Stalnaker’s walk-off lifts Indians to extra-inning win, split with East Mississippi

FULTON, Miss. – The Indians earned a sweep against East Mississippi at Roy Cresap Field on Wednesday.

Game 1: Lions 12, Indians 9 (11 innings)

The Indians fell victim to a late rally by East Mississippi in a 12-9 game one loss, in 11 innings.

ICC got on the board first in the bottom half of the first inning when Nathan Ferris delivered an RBI double followed by a single from Hank Stalnaker that scored Ferris.

After East Mississippi answered with a run in the top of the second, Bryson Jackson scored on a bases-loaded walk followed by Jarrett Morris scoring after Evan McCarthy was hit by a pitch. Jude Treadaway added another run after scoring on an error.

In the fifth, Jude Treadaway used an RBI double to score Stone Collier to make it a 7-3 lead for the Indians heading into the sixth.

The Lions scored two runs in the sixth and hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to tie it up at 7-7 and send the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 11th, East Mississippi scored five runs to take the lead. Evan McCarthy hit a two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning to cut into the Lions' lead, but the Indians' rally fell short.

Will Lipscomb was the pitcher of record for the Indians, going four innings as he surrendered three runs on four hits while striking out five batters and walking one. Everett Thompson opened the game for ICC, striking out six and walking two while giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings of work.

Ferris led ICC with three hits while Collier added two. McCarthy drove in three runs in the contest.

Game 2: Indians 4, Lions 3 (8 innings)

The Indians turned the tables against East Mississippi in game two courtesy of an RBI single by Hank Stalnaker in the bottom of the eighth to walk it off, 4-3.

The Lions struck first in the top of the first inning with two runs and would later add another run to their lead in the top of the fifth.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Indians got on the board and tied the game at 3-3 when Nathan Ferris hit a three-run home run to left.

In the bottom of the eighth, Stalnaker's late heroics resulted in an RBI single that scored Houston Green and secured the walk-off win for ICC.

Jud Files picked up the win for the Indians, striking out 10 batters and walking two while giving up three runs on six hits in a complete-game effort.

Stalnaker, Ferris, Green, Evan McCarthy, Jude Treadaway and Madden Butler each recorded a hit for ICC, and Ferris led with three RBIs.