Bulldogs settle for Co-Lin split

Mississippi Gulf Coast almost battled back in the nightcap to claim its first MACCC baseball sweep of the season but had to settle for a split Wednesday at Copiah-Lincoln.

The Bulldogs got a commanding pitching performance from Adam May (So., Magee/Magee) in the opener and Charlie Keller's NJCAA-leading 12^th home run to win 8-2, then lost 5-4 in the second.

The Bulldogs were down to their final strike when Nick Thornton (Fr., Pearl/Brandon) delivered an RBI triple on a 1-2 pitch that scored DJ Walker (So., Brandon/Brandon). He had singled with two outs.

Co-Lin got a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, then a single up the middle that bounced off second base and allowed the runner to score from first.

Walker went 3-for-3 against his old team, and Marc Stephens (Fr., Orange Beach, Ala./Gulf Shores) had two hits, including a triple. Sean Smith had two hits, including a double, and Thornton's triple was his second hit of the game.

Gulf Coast outhit the Wolves 11-6 in the second game.

Keller (Fr., Mobile, Ala./Mobile Christian) had a two-run blast in the first inning of Game 1, and the Bulldogs never trailed. May allowed just four hits and two runs in six innings of work to improve to 1-2.

Ty Mancha (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Mobile Christian) had two hits.

Gulf Coast is back at home Saturday against Itawamba. First pitch at Ken "Curly" Farris Field is set for 2 p.m. The games will be streamed at https://mgcccbulldogs.com/watch. 

For more information on MGCCC's 11 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.