Jackson Powers SMC To Sweep

Spartanburg, SC – Strong pitching and two clutch Tyler Jackson (Robert E. Lee HS) home runs helped power SMC to a pair of wins over Louisburg College on Saturday. The Pioneers improved to 31-10 overall, 11-5 in Region X.

In game one, Ben Carlson (Mauldin HS) threw his fifth complete game of the season, and the Pioneers struck for three runs with two outs in the first inning, then held on to win, 3-1, over their region foes. 

After a pair of strike-outs opened the home half of the first, Travis Burnside (Laurens HS) singled sharply through the middle, bringing Jackson to the plate with two outs. The sophomore first baseman drove a 1-0 pitch over the fence in right-center to stake the Pioneers to an early 2-0 lead. Luke Tollison (Laurens Academy) followed the blast up with a walk, and Ben Boykin (Fort Mill HS) lined a base hit to center, putting runners on first and second. Cody Martin (Stephens Co., GA HS) continued the two-out rally with an RBI double to right, plating another SMC run. A flyout left runners stranded at second and third, but the Pioneers had used four, two-out hits to take a 3-0 lead.

The Pioneers were unable to get much going after the first inning outburst, managing just two more hits the rest of the game, but Carlson made the early lead stand up with another strong outing. He allowed just four hits – all singles – and walked two while striking out five in a complete game effort.

The lone run for the Hurricanes came in the top of the fifth, when Carlson walked the leadoff batter. A stolen base and a wild pitch advanced the runner to third with no outs, and a groundout to second tallied what would prove to be the only run of the game for the visitors.

Carlson retired the last nine batters he faced to seal the victory for the Pioneers. He improved to 7-1 on the season.

Boykin (2-3) was the only Pioneer with more than one hit.

The nightcap proved to be another pitcher's duel, as three Pioneer pitchers combined on a five-hitter and Jackson and Boykin provided the late inning heroics in a 2-1 extra-inning win.

Game two starter Jake Long (T.L. Hanna HS) allowed just a single run in five innings of work. The Hurricanes scratched out that run in the second, when the leadoff man doubled down the left field line, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and, one out later, scored on a base hit to left. The runner advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt, but Long got out of the jam with a groundout and a flyout to limit the damage.

The Pioneers threatened in the bottom of the second, as Boykin singled and Martin walked, putting two runners aboard with no outs, but a strikeout after a failed sacrifice attempt and a double play groundout stymied the SMC attack.

SMC looked to score again with a runner aboard in both the third and fourth innings, but drives by Jackson and Martin ended up as long outs rather than extra base hits, keeping the score at 1-0 in favor of the visitors.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Pioneers finally got on the board, courtesy of Jackson. With one out, the cleanup hitter came up big again, driving a solo home run to left-center to tie the game at 1 apiece.

Ronnie Kleinbach (Batavia, NY HS) and then Jared Keels (Spring Valley HS) relieved Long in the sixth and kept Louisburg off the board, giving the SMC offense a chance.

It looked for a moment like the Pioneers would win it in the bottom of the seventh. Martin led off with a line drive to right that nearly sliced through the wind and out of the park to end the game, but it hit the top of the fence, ending up as a long single. A sacrifice bunt by Dacen Cash (Stephens Co., GA HS) advanced pinch runner Michael Keels (Manning HS) into scoring position, and, following a groundout, Reggie Weatherford (Lake City HS) hit a bullet up the middle that somehow ended up in the pitcher's glove for the third out.  

Keels surrendered a leadoff single in the eighth, but induced a double play ball and a flyout to right, keeping Louisburg off the board again and providing the Pioneer bats with another opportunity to finish the day on a good note.

After two quick outs in the bottom of the frame, Jackson and Tollison drew consecutive walks, putting runners at first and second and sending Louisburg to their bullpen for the third time in the game. Boykin made it a short day for the Hurricane reliever, working the count to 2-0 before hitting the next pitch through the right side of the infield to chase Jackson home for a dramatic 2-1 walk-off victory.

Long pitched well in a no-decision, allowing three hits and one earned run in five innings of work. He walked two and struck out three. Keels (2-0) picked up the win with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed a pair of hits and struck out two. 

Boykin tallied another multi-hit game with a 3 for 4 performance, including the game winning RBI. Seth Neely (Rock Hill HS) chipped in with two hits for the Pioneers.

The Pioneers will conclude the Louisburg series on Sunday in Spartanburg with a double-header starting at 1 pm.  

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The College is in its 100th academic year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning.
 
For more information please contact athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237.