Bulldogs clinch playoffs with sweep

PERKINSTON — Mississippi Gulf Coast broke a streak of MACCC baseball doubleheader splits in the best way possible Friday, and it paid off with big dividends.

The Bulldogs swept Mississippi Delta 9-6 and 8-1 at Ken "Curly" Farris Field to clinch a berth in the NJCAA Region 23 qualifying series. Gulf Coast slugged four homers in the first game, and got stellar pitching performances from Breck Jones (So., Gulfport/Gulfport) out of the bullpen in the opener and Matthew DeLano (So., Biloxi/Biloxi) in the nightcap.

"It's been a long time coming," said outfielder/designated hitter Sean Smith, who had two homers in the first game.

The first victory, combined with losses by Northwest Mississippi and Itawamba in their first game, locked up a playoff spot. The second moved them up the standings.

"You go into today on the brink of elimination and wind up finishing seventh," Gulf Coast coach Bob Keller said. "I'm just real proud of our guys. They've never quit, and it's going to be fun to watch us in the playoffs."

The Bulldogs improved to 20-23 overall. They had split each of their first 13 conference doubleheaders, so the sweep put them at 15-13, good enough for seventh place in the standings.

As the seeding stands right now, Gulf Coast will travel to Hinds for a best-of-three series starting Thursday in Raymond. Meridian still has to make up a doubleheader against last-place Coahoma on Monday to close out the final conference games. If, somehow, the Eagles lost twice, Gulf Coast would get Meridian.

Delta, which started the day with an outside shot at the playoffs, finished 17-23, 12-6 MACCC.

Smith broke a 1-1 tie with a third-inning grand slam to the opposite field. After Delta came back to tie, Alec Hardy (So., Wiggins/Stone) went the other way for a solo shot on the first pitch of the fourth.

Jones had ended the Trojans' rally in the fourth, and he put up four big zeros. 

"I have a job to do, which is just to get outs," he said. "The first two innings I was in there, we had a tight lead. I just wanted to produce outs. I've got a great defense behind me. They did an amazing job."

Cade Crosby (Fr., Gulfport/Gulfport) and Sean Smith (Fr., Pascagoula/Pascagoula) provided back-to-back solo homers in the seventh to pad the lead to 8-5. Crosby would finish the day with a 15-game hit streak, and Smith's is up to 16.

"I feel pretty good," Smith said. "My swing is feeling the best it has all year. I'm happy. I've been working real hard on it, and I'm glad it's back."

Kade Carpenter (Fr., Vancleave/Vancleave) hit a sacrifice fly in the eight, and Jones closed things out after allowing a run in the ninth. He struck out five in 5.1 innings, allowing four hits and just the one run.

DeLano handled things on the mound almost all by himself in the second game. He struck out nine before Keller took him out to give him a standing ovation.

Brendan McCauley (So., Gulfport/Harrison Central) had a pair of doubles, and Preston Ratliff (So., Slidell, La./Northshore) tripled. He had two hits, as did Carpenter. 

"It was good to do it in front of our fans and do it on Sophomore Day," Keller said. "The parents got to see the boys play at their best."

Gulf Coast saluted 12 sophomore players and a manager between games: Brendan McCauley, Jesse Johnson, Luke Reed, Cade Crosby, Alec Hardy, Preston Ratliff, Adam Bassett, JC Stogner, Alex McWhorter, Breck Jones, Connor Holliman, Elijah Watts and Thomas Shelby.

Alex McWhorter was named the winner of the Randy Rouse Award. The award, which honors a former Gulf Coast baseball player who died of leukemia in 1992, is voted on by the team and given to the sophomore who best exemplifies sportsmanship, unselfishness, and loyalty.

For more information on MGCCC's 10 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.