February 28, 2005

For More Information, contact: Keith Gentry (901) 333-4114 / Kimberly Stark (901) 333-4023

SOUTHWEST BASEBALL TEAM TAKES TWO OF THREE FROM HIWASSEE
Written by Keith Gentry

The Southwest baseball defeated Hiwassee twice in a three-game series over the weekend at Tony Gagliano Memorial Field, improving its record to 9-6 overall and 3-3 in the Tennessee Junior and Community College Athletic Association.

On Friday, the Saluqis broke a scoreless tie by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh and held on to defeat Hiwassee 4-2. Sophomore Shane Jackson (Bolton High School) pitched an outstanding game, allowing five hits and one earned run in eight innings. Freshman closer Ivan Nails (Horn Lake, MS) recorded the final three outs to earn the save.

The Saluqis won the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader by a score of 5-4, then lost the final game of the three game series by an identical 5-4 margin. In the win, Southwest scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, then added single runs in the third and sixth innings. Freshman rightfielder John Thurston (Belair, MD) drove in runs with a double in the first inning and a single in the third. Sophomore Blake Dickson (Lawrence, KS) picked up the win, his first as a Saluqi, while Nails earned his second save of the series and his third of the season.

In the final game, Southwest jumped to a 4-1 lead after three innings, but couldn’t hold on as the Saluqis allowed four runs in the sixth inning en route to a 5-4 loss. Top hitters in the game were leftfielder Brit Vincent (Bowling Green, KY), who went 3 for 4 with a double and one RBI, and centerfielder Chris Rogers (Bolton High School), who had three singles and also drove in a run.

The Saluqis return to action on Tuesday, March 1 in a 3 p.m. single game against Northwest-Shoals Community College (AL) at Gagliano Field. This weekend, Southwest travels to Jackson, Tennessee to take on Jackson State Community College in a three-game conference series. The two teams will play a single game at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 4, followed by a noon doubleheader on Saturday, March 5.