Indians Put Up 31 in Sweep of Coahoma

FULTON, Miss. - The Indians piled up 31 runs in two games Wednesday and never let Coahoma settle in, rolling past the Tigers 19-8 in seven innings in the opener before finishing the sweep with a 12-1 run-rule win in five innings in Game 2.

Game 1: Indians 19, Coahoma 8 (7 innings)

The opener did not start clean for the Indians.

Coahoma jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first, then added another run in the second and two more in the third to build a 6-3 edge. But even while playing from behind, the Indians kept finding answers and kept enough pressure on the Tigers to wait for the inning that changed everything.

ICC got on the board in the first when Cannon Graham grounded out to score a run, then Brody Thompson lined a single to left to bring home another. A passed ball later in the inning tied it at 3-3 and kept the Indians within striking distance after the early hole.

The Indians chipped away again in the fourth. Madden Butler drew a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, then Graham lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score Tre Gunn and cut the deficit to 6-5.

Then came the fifth.

ICC sent 15 batters to the plate and scored 11 times in the inning, turning a one-run deficit into a 16-6 lead. Some of the damage came from pressure, some from clean swings and some from Coahoma mistakes that the Indians refused to let go unpunished. Thompson and Will Caviness moved up on a passed ball to tie the game, Jack Cummings reached on a fielder's choice, Tyler Pickens reached on an error that pushed ICC in front, and another error opened the door even wider.

From there, ICC kept stacking runs. Reid Kent ripped a two-run single to center, Graham added another sacrifice fly, Caviness brought home a run on a groundout, Cummings shot a two-run single through the middle and Daniel Whitfield followed with a two-run single of his own. By the time the inning ended, the Tigers were chasing a 10-run margin.

The sixth made sure the run rule stayed in play.

After Coahoma threatened to hang around, ICC answered with three more runs. Caviness lined an RBI single to center, then Bryson Jackson drove a double to left that scored Thompson and Caviness to stretch the lead to 19-6. That cushion mattered after the Tigers scored in the seventh, but the Indians had already created enough separation to close it out early.

Gavin Baillargeon gave ICC exactly what it needed out of the bullpen. He worked three scoreless innings in relief, allowed four hits and three walks and helped steady the game after the Tigers' early success.

Game 2: Indians 12, Coahoma 1 (5 innings)

The second game looked a lot like the finish of the first. ICC jumped on Coahoma early, stayed in control and never gave the Tigers a real opening.

Kent started it with a leadoff home run to right in the bottom of the first, and Thompson followed later in the inning with an RBI single down the left-field line to make it 2-0.

The Indians broke it open in the third.

With runners on, Caviness reached on an error that allowed Butler to score and moved the line for the middle of the order. Pickens followed with a two-run single to left, and Jackson added a two-run single of his own to push the lead to 7-0. Just like that, ICC had taken command.

The fourth removed any doubt.

Butler launched a monster two-run homer to left, Caviness ripped a two-run double and Whitfield capped the inning with a sacrifice fly to center as the Indians hung five more on the board and stretched the margin to 12-0.

That was more than enough for Andrew Williams, who handled the rest. He went all five innings, allowed one run on five hits, did not issue a walk and struck out five.

"I'm really proud of our group today," Coach Slater Lott said. "We were not perfect, but I thought we played really well. It was good to see us respond after falling behind early and continue to fight offensively. That has been one of our strengths all season."

Lott also praised Williams for the way he continued to settle in on the mound.

"Andrew was outstanding again," Lott said. "He has really come into his own and gotten so much better. I'm really proud of the way he competed."

Up next, the Indians host Co-Lin in a crucial MACCC doubleheader Saturday with postseason positioning on the line. Both teams enter the day 9-7 in conference play. 

"We've got a good test this weekend with a strong Co-Lin team coming to town," Lott said. "Our guys are ready to play."

The games will be streamed on LetsGoICCTV.com/red.