Caygel K’s 10, Offense Explodes as Indians Sweep Illinois Central

FULTON, Miss. – The Indians turned a tight series into a three-game statement with a midgame surge that never let Illinois Central breathe.

Game 2: ICC 14, Illinois Central 4 (8 innings)

Riley Caygel punched out 10 in five strong innings and Itawamba Community College (6-2) used a five-run fifth, a five-run sixth and a five-run eighth to run-rule Illinois Central (0-3) 14-4 in eight innings at Cresap Field.

The Cougars jumped in front in the first and nursed that lead into the middle innings, but ICC flipped the script when the lineup finally got rolling in the bottom of the fifth.

Bryson Jackson started the swing with a double to left that scored Will Caviness, then Tre Gunn followed with an RBI double of his own to bring home Jackson. Gunn scored on a two-out single by Reid Kent, and Jacob Pearl came home on Brody Thompson's single to cap a four-run inning and put ICC in front 4-1.

The sixth turned it into a track meet. Houston Green scored on Jackson's groundout, Caviness crossed on a wild pitch, Kent drove in two more with a hard-hit ball up the middle that scored Gunn and Tyler Pickens, then Thompson delivered again with a single to score Kent and make it 9-1.

Illinois Central pushed three runs across over the seventh and eighth to get to 9-4, but ICC had the last word and invoked the run rule in the bottom of the eighth.

Cannon Graham singled in Thompson, Green ripped a triple to right to score Graham and later scored on a passed ball, Gunn singled to bring home Caviness, and Pickens singled to plate Jackson to finish the 14-4 win.

Caygel earned the win, allowing one unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out 10 in five innings. Thompson had three hits, and Kent, Green, Jackson and Gunn each had two as ICC piled up 14 hits.

Game 3: ICC 12, Illinois Central 2 (6 innings)

Reid Kent drove in five runs, including a two-run homer and a bases-clearing double, and ICC closed the sweep with a 12-2 run-rule win in six innings.

Illinois Central scored in the first, then ICC answered immediately and took control before the Cougars could settle in. In the bottom of the first, Houston Green reached on a fielder's choice that brought home Pearl, then Caviness doubled to score Kent and Green for a 3-1 lead after one.

Kent added more breathing room in the second with a two-run home run, and the third is where ICC broke it open.

Green launched a two-run homer to start the scoring, then Kent cleared the bases with a double that scored Caviness, Gunn and Pearl as the Indians stretched it out of reach.

The Cougars got one back in the fifth, but Thompson ended it in the sixth with a two-run shot evidence that ICC still had plenty left in the tank.

Jack Howell earned the win, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out nine in 4.2 innings.