Waters, Marsh throw MGCCC to MACCC-opening sweep

Mississippi Gulf Coast opened its MACCC baseball schedule Wednesday, and the recent theme of outstanding pitching carried over from non-conference play.

Eli Waters and Samuel Marsh each posted seven-inning starts, and the Bulldogs swept Itawamba 4-1 and 6-2 at Fulton. Brandon Coakley had five hits in the doubleheader, including a homer and a double.

"The pitching's been awesome," Gulf Coast coach Zach Allen said. "It gives your offense a bit of a leash. You hate to leave as many runners as we have on, but we know the arms are going to keep us in it all games."

Gulf Coast's weekend doubleheader has been moved to Sunday because of bad weather forecast for Saturday. The Bulldogs (18-8) start play against East Mississippi at 2 p.m. at Ken "Curly" Farris Field.

Waters, a sophomore from Petal, allowed only three hits in his Game 1 start. He blanked ICC by striking out five to improve to 3-3. Britt Stringer (Fr, Petal/Petal) and James Vines (Fr, Clinton, La./Silliman Institute) split the final two innings.

"Waters just fills the zone up and gives us the opportunity to win," Allen said. "Then, Stringer and Vines come in and close it down. They just pounded the zone."

Coakley, who had three hits in the first game, drove in the first run on a groundout in the first, and Tanner Ladner (So, Pass Christian/Hancock) hit a solo homer in the second. Kaden Irving (So, Gautier/Gautier) added another solo blast in the seventh, and an RBI groundout in the ninth by Griffin Wells (Fr, Pascagoula/Pascagoula) closed out the Bulldogs scoring.

Coakley is batting .400 (10-for-25) in his last seven games.

"Freshmen have to get in there and get their feet wet," Allen said. "It's a big change at first, and he's settling in. He's getting extended on pitches and spitting on breaking balls. The game's getting slow for him."

Marsh, a sophomore from Monroe, La, struck out eight without walking anybody in his complete game. He was nursing a 3-2 lead after five when Coakley launched a three-run bomb for some more cushion, helping him move to 3-0.

"He did what he's been doing all season," Allen said. "He commands the fastball and lays in the breaking ball when he needs to, keeping guys off balance. He's dominating."

Jordan Davis (Fr, Neshoba/Neshoba Central), who walked three times in the first game, had three hits in the second. He's produced in the leadoff spot, driving in two runs with a fourth-inning single.

Ladner and Jacob Palazzo (So, Biloxi/Gulfport) doubled.

Itawamba is now 13-9.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.