SUMMIT- The Hinds Community College baseball team took home the sweep against Southwest Mississippi Community College winning 8 – 1 and 4 – 3 over the Bears in Summit in the Eagles' first MACJC conference matchup Tuesday night (Mar. 19).
 
The Eagles took home game one in commanding fashion that kicked off in the top of the first inning as the team scored four runs on 3 hits including a home run by sophomore Luke Clement (Olive Branch) which is his third of the season. Game one also saw solid offensive performances by Connor Carter (Madison), Garrett Clarke (Brandon), and Pablo Lanzarote (Barquisimeto, Venezuela) who each had two hits with Lanzarote logging a double. John Bolton (Memphis, TN) led the way, offensively, with three hits including two doubles and a walk in the game one victory.
 
Carter posted an impressive pitching performance for the Eagles as he received the win on the mound going six innings with four strikeouts giving up only one run. Tuesday's win is Carter's third of the season putting him at 3 – 0. Clement also logged three innings on the mound qualifying him for the long save in the contest, his first of the year.
 
These pitching performances were backed by great defense highlighted by the play of Bolton and Colby Collier (Clinton) who combined for eight put outs and eight assists including one double play at second base and short stop, respectively.
 
Game two told a different tale for the Eagles as the Bears came back with a determination to avenge their game one loss putting the Eagles down 2 – 0 in the top of the first inning with a string of hits. The Bears' pitching was able to hold the Hinds offense scoreless through four innings to keep the team down into the fifth inning.
 
The Hinds starter, Preston Johnson (Crystal Springs), kept the Eagles in the game, however, as he settled in to post three consecutive scoreless innings on the mound and allowed no more earned runs in the contest.
 
The Hinds baseball team rediscovered its offense in the fifth inning kicked off by a long home run by C.J. Keckler (Biloxi) which sparked the Eagles to push another run across that inning and tie the ballgame at 2 – 2. However, a costly error in the bottom of the fifth allowed the Bears to go back up one run which held until the top of the seventh inning which was the final inning of the contest.
 
The Eagles started the seventh inning drama with a one-out triple off the bat of Bolton who would be brought-in two at-bats later by Josh Cofield (Madison) with his third hit and first double of the contest. Walker Burchfield (Clinton) gave the Eagles their first lead of the game with a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
Josh Banes (Learned) would round-off the drama of the event with a shut-out seventh inning securing the win for himself and the Eagles sending Banes to his first win of 2019. Banes tossed two and one-third innings with four strikeouts and no runs while Garrett Ramsey, who relieved Johnson, tossed one and one-third innings with two strikeouts and no earned runs. The starter, Johnson, pitched three and one-third innings giving up two runs and posting two strikeouts.
 
The Hinds baseball team's two wins sends them to 14 – 3 (2 – 0) on the year giving the team momentum as they begin conference play. The Eagles' next game will be March 23 against Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale at 12 and 3 p.m.
 
The game will be live streamed via the Coahoma athletic website which can be found through the following link:  https://coahomasports.com/watch/?Live=423&type=Live. Fans can also follow the Hinds baseball team on Twitter at @HindsCC_BB for updates on the season and live updates during all games.