CLINTON, Miss. --
Brandon Leroy stayed hot, going 4-for-9 with two runs batted in,
Kaleb Priest and
Nick Copen each had three hits and
Auston Brewer homered for Miles during a three-game set against Mississippi College this weekend. But it was not enough to keep up with the Choctaws, who swept all the games of the weekend set. The Golden Bears are now 1-6 overall in a schedule that has exclusively been against teams from the Gulf Coast Conference.
GAME 1 - Mississippi College 6, Miles 0
The Golden Bears had a couple of opportunities to get on the board but were only able to scratch out three singles in suffering their second shutout loss of the season. Miles had a runner on third with one out in the second but was unable to get him home. In the fifth,
Max Davenport reached on a walk but was picked off first.
Jordan Pearson was hit by a pitch, but after he was replaced on first from a fielder's choice by Brewer, the center fielder was thrown out trying to steal second.
Miles trailed 5-0 going into the seventh before getting its first hit off Choctaws starter Holland Townes (1-0), a single by Leroy.
Ja'Darius Hartley pinch ran for Leroy but was stranded at second when Davenport struck out to end the inning. The Golden Bears had one more good opportunity in the eighth. Pinch hitter
Jackson Lindsey and
Isaiah Jordan got back-to-back singles with one out to chase Townes. But
Logan Starnes swung at the first pitch from reliever Kyle Collet and hit into an inning-ending double play. Copen (0-2) took the loss for Miles, going 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs and four hits, walking five and striking out three.
GAME 2 - Mississippi College 21, Miles 5
Despite the lopsided final score, Miles took an early lead. Leroy's one-out double scored
Trey Rutledge, who had walked. Copen followed with a double, moving Leroy to third, and he scored on a sacrifice bunt from Lindsey for a 2-0 Miles lead. The advantage went to 3-0 with some two out magic from
Mason McClammy, who singled and stole second before Rutledge brought him home on a single.
But things went down from there for the Golden Bears. Starter
Trent Jones (0-2) did not make it out of the third, allowing five runs over 2 1/2 innings. The Choctaws then added two seven-run innings in the fourth and sixth against relievers
Camden Matthews,
Mason Kirby and
Marques Dunn to put the game well out of reach. Miles did add two runs in the fifth as Priest and Leroy opened with consecutive hits. Priest scored on a RBI single by Lindsey and
Lakell Freeman, who ran for Leroy, touched the plate as Lindsey was caught in a run down on a pick off attempt.
GAME 3, Mississippi College 13, Miles 3 (7)
Leroy drove in Priest in the top of the first to, again, put Miles in front. But
Branson Honea (0-1) gave up three home runs in the second and third innings to put the Choctaws ahead for good. Brewer launched his first homer of the season - a 2-run shot to left - in the fourth to close the gap to 5-3. But the bullpen could not keep it close, allowing two more home runs and watching the Choctaws win the game via the 10-run rule.
UP NEXT - Miles travels to Huntsville on Tuesday for a single game at Alabama Huntsville. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.