The Southwest Mississippi Community College Bears rode the arm of pitcher Shelby Johnson to a 5-1 victory Saturday in Game 2 to give them a split in their home doubleheader against 15th-ranked East Central.
The Warriors took the opener 7-2.
With the split, Southwest moves to 15-11 on the season. The Warriors now stand at 17-13.
A hit batsman and a base hit put the visitors on top 1-0 in the third inning of Game 2.
The Bears answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Chance Schmidt singled to open the inning and later scored on a base hit by Darron McKigney. Kyle Wheeler, who reached on a fielder’s choice, scored the go-ahead run on a two-out error.
Southwest added its final runs of the game in the sixth inning when Josh Bouldin tripled to drive home Schmidt and Philip Ingraffia. Two batters later, Wheeler reached on another East Central error that allowed Bouldin to score.
The Warriors made a comeback attempt in the bottom of the inning, putting two men on base with one out. Johnson then induced the final two batters to fly out to end the game.
Johnson (2-2) recorded only one strikeout and allowed just one walk in his complete-game victory, but forced a large number of groundouts and flyouts.
“(Our) defense played great,” Johnson said. “I’m not a strikeout pitcher. I always rely on defense and they played a heck of a game.”
McKigney added a second single in the game, while German Hays also had two hits.
A three-run homer by Tyler Brant gave the Warriors a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning in Game 1 and the visitors never trailed.
Southwest made it 3-1 after three when Schmidt reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a Bouldin double.
A triple by Schmidt in the fourth inning scored Jackson, who had reached base via a one-out walk, to pull the Bears to within 3-2.
That was as close as the Bears would come, as East Central added single runs in the fifth and seventh innings and two in the sixth.
McKigney recorded two singles in the game for Southwest.
Dylan Gregoire (3-2) struck out six batters and walked two in the complete-game loss.
The Bears return to action Tuesday when they travel to Perkinston to face the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs. Game 1 of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
