Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Ellisville, Miss. - Down south, back to campus, back south. That's been the run of show for ICC baseball (2-3) to start the season. After a three-game series in the Magnolia State, coach Brett Kelley's squad was right back down there on Friday night, playing a triangular with Baton Rouge and Jones to start a four-game weekend. After rolling to a big win to open up the doubleheader, Jones rolled in game two. 

ICC COUGARS 8, BATON ROUGE 1
After a pair of scoreless innings to start the day, the ICC bats exploded in the top of the third. After a pair of outs had it looking like a 1-2-3 inning, that's when the skies opened. A Zach Otten double, Beau Durbin hit by pitch, Josh Heyder RBI single, Jackson Powell hit by pitch, Camden Porter two-run single, and Kaleb Gauf RBI single all happened consecutively. That put the Cougars up 5-0 after two and a half innings. Baton Rouge would get its lone run of the game in the next half inning. 

Now by game's end, the Cougars wouldn't need any more of a lead for Gavin Thompson and Ian McGhiey, but they went ahead and added the insurance anyway. Kaleb Gauf hustled to first on a dropped third strike, scoring both Durbin and Powell in the process and giving ICC a 7-1 lead. 

The Cougars set the final score when Beau Durbin launched a solo home run to lead off the top of the seventh inning. 

Hitting:
Kaleb Gauf | 2 hits, 4 RBI
Beau Durbin | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Josh Heyder | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Camden Porter | 1 hit, 2 RBI

Pitching:
Gavin Thompson | 4 innings, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Ian McGhiey | 3 innings, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts

JONES 9, ICC COUGARS 3
While it was the Cougars enjoying an offensive parade in the first game, Jones would return the favor in the nightcap. ICC would go scoreless in the game's first three innings, just enough of an opportunity for the Bobcats to pounce. 

Trailing 3-0 after three innings, ICC got their first run on an RBI sac fly off the bat off Hunter Cooley. That had ICC within a mere 3-1 score after three and a half. That, however, is when the game-changing inning happened. 

Jones' first five batters reached, including a home run and a pair of hit by pitches. A pair of sacrifice flies and a single turned a manageable two-run game into an exploded 9-1 spread. 

The closest ICC would get would come in the top of the sixth. After Jackson Powell (hit by pitch) and Camden Porter (walk) reached, Nate Stear drew a walk as well, loading the bases with two outs. Luke Doty would line a two-run double to right field, scoring both Powell and Porter. That put both Doty and Stear in scoring position and ICC down 9-3. The comeback was snuffed after that. 

Hitting Notables:
Luke Doty | 1 hit, 2 RBI
Camden Porter | 2 walks
Kaleb Gauf | 1 double

Pitching Notables:
Gage Burdick | 3 innings, 1 hit, 4 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ D2 #1 Pearl River Wildcats (11-1)
Saturday, February 25th - 2 & 5 PM
LIVE STATS - GAME 1 (GameChanger)
LIVE STATS - GAME 2 (GameChanger)
WATCH LIVE - BOTH GAMES (PRCC Live)