By DONN ADAMSON

Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Updated: Tuesday, March 15, 2005 11:16 AM CST

AND MATT KING

Daily Journal Sports Writers

ELLISVILLE, MS - The Mineral Area College baseball team played their second of four double-headers in four days on Monday. The Cardinals ended a seven-game losing skid by defeating host Jones County, 11-3 in game one behind a strong pitching performance from starter Michael Hardin. The Bobcats recovered quickly in game two, hammering MAC 10-0 in five innings.

The opening contest saw Jones County score first with a run in the first inning, but a two-run single in the second by Brandon Crook put the Cardinals in front. After the Bobcats regained the lead with a pair of tallies in the fourth, MAC took charge by scoring five times in the fifth.

Three walks led to a sacrifice fly by Jeff Scott which tied the game at 3-3. Lucas Hulsey then delivered what stood as the game-winning hit with a two-run double to deep left-center field. Scott Hubbard and Crook added singles later in the frame.

Mineral Area (4-9) picked up some insurance with two runs in the sixth, highlighted by a RBI double from Tyler Stahl, then scored twice more in the seventh. Crook finished the game 3-3 with three RBI while Stahl was 2-3.

The Cardinals were unable to carry the offensive momentum into game two. Joaby Sikes and Ryan Becker each singled to account for the only two MAC hits. The Bobcats roughed up pitchers Jeremy Warren and Cory Grewe for 10 runs over the first two innings, and cruised to victory from there.

MAC will travel to Perkinston, Mississippi this afternoon for two games against the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs.

FIRST GAME

Mineral Area 020 052 2 - 11

Jones County 100 200 0 - 3

Hitting: B Crook 3, T Stahl 2, S Hubbard, L Hulsey.

Pitching:

WP - M Hardin 5i 3r 6h 3bb 4k

T Graviett 1i 0r 0h 0bb 3k

A Palmisano 1i 0r 0h 0bb 1h

SECOND GAME

Mineral Area 000 00 - 0

Jones County 460 0x - 10

Hitting: J Sikes, R Becker.

Pitching:

LP - J Warren 1 1/3i 7r 6h 1bb 1k

C Grewe 2/3i 3r 3h 0bb 1k

M Hall 2i 0r 0h 1bb 0k

SUNDAY'S GAMES

WESSON, MS - The Mineral Area Cardinals started their Gulf Coast tour on a rampage, scoring 11 runs in their first three innings, but over the next 11 innings on Sunday they could only muster two more runs. The Cardinals fell to East Mississippi 13-12, and then was shut down in the second game to Copiah-Lincoln 8-1.

In game one, the Cardinals exploded in the top of the third inning with eight runs for an 11-1 lead, but East Mississippi scored five in the bottom of the inning and five more over the next two innings. MAC held a one-run lead going into the bottom of the sixth, which the home team matched and went on to win the game in the bottom of the seventh.

In game two, the Cardinals grabbed the early lead again. Ryan Dickerman and Joaby Sikes hit back-to-back singles in the first inning. Marty Clements advanced the two runners with a sacrifice bunt, and Sean Bard hit a sacrifice fly to score Dickerman for MAC's only run.

Copiah-Lincoln scored three runs in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie and then scored three more in the fifth. Copiah-Lincoln's pitching kept the Cardinals' bats silent for the last six innings of the game.

FIRST GAME

Mineral Area 218 010 0 - 12

East Mississippi 015 231 1 - 13

Hitting: M Clements 3, S Bard 2, L Hulsey 2, S Hubbard 2. HR: Clements 1, Bard 1.

Pitching:

S Mabury 3 1/3i 7r 12h 2k 1bb

C Grewe 1i 2r 4h 0k 0bb

J Scott 1 2/3i 2r 4h 2k 1bb

LP -M Holland 1i 1r 1h 0k 0bb

SECOND GAME

Mineral Area 100 000 0 - 1

Copiah-Lincoln 100 331 x - 8

Hitting: R Dickerman 2, M Clements 1, S Hubbard 1, J Sikes 1.

Pitching:

LP -D Horrell 4i 9h 5r 3k 1bb

B Jones 1i 2r 2h 0k 0bb

T Graviett 1i 1r 1h 0k 0bb