By MATT KING\Daily Journal Sports Writer

Published: Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Updated: Wednesday, March 8, 2006 12:00 PM CST

PARK HILLS - The current losing streak for the Mineral Area College baseball team reached four games on Tuesday, as visiting John A. Logan picked up a double-header sweep with victories of 9-3 and 8-7.

The Cardinals sent the pitcher who earned their last victory, right-hander Andy Moss to the mound in game one, but his outing was shortened by a quick offensive barrage from the Volunteers.

Daniel Webb highlighted a four-run first inning with a two-run double on his way to a 4-for-5 performance at the plate. Webb also had a RBI single in the second inning which gave John A. Logan a 7-1 advantage.

MAC scored a run in the bottom of the first when Ryan Blankenship was plunked with the bases loaded, allowing catcher Aaron Miller to cross the plate. Seth Kimrey reached on an error and scored the second Cardinal run on a passed ball.

Matt Pleiss extended the John A. Logan lead to 9-2 by drilling a two-run single in the fourth, providing plenty of support for starter Chris Johnson, who struck out eight batters while allowing three runs on five hits in five innings.

Brandon Crook started the bottom of the fourth with a single for the Cardinals, and scored on a RBI single by Miller. Crook and Miller each went 2-for-3 at the plate in a losing cause.

Joaby Sikes was 1-for-3 with a single and walk for the Cardinals, and pitcher Marshall Macormic tossed three shutout innings of relief with the help of two double plays from his defense.

John A. Logan benefited from seven walks and three hit batsmen to go along with 12 total hits.

Mineral Area appeared primed to right the ship in game two, but six errors on the infield caused two separate leads to be squandered in an upsetting one-run loss that was reduced to six innings by darkness.

Left-handed ace Michael Hardin induced routine ground balls throughout his complete-game effort, and did not allow a hit until the fourth inning, but suffered the defeat with just two of the eight runs scored by the Volunteers being earned.

Clutch two-out hitting propelled MAC to an early lead. Sean Bard ripped a RBI double inside the bag at third base to score Tony Spencer, who singled and stole a base.

Tyler Stahl followed with a sinking single to left for a 2-0 advantage. The Cardinals threatened to add more runs in the second inning, but stranded the bases loaded.

John A. Logan received a gift run in the top of the second when Pleiss scored on a poor throw from third base. The Volunteers then surged ahead with four tallies in the fourth.

Pleiss reached on a misplayed ground ball at shortstop, and scored the tying run on a double to left-center by Bob Craven. Bryce Pund then executed a perfect squeeze bunt to give the Volunteers a 3-2 edge.

Two straight singles and an error loaded the bases later in the frame. Hardin hit Ryan Biddle with a pitch to force home another run, and Chad Carner scored on a fielder's choice to make it 5-2.

The MAC offense responded promptly with four runs in the bottom half of the fourth. Garrett Hulsey singled with one out and scored when Crook lined an opposite-field, RBI triple to right.

After Spencer was plunked to put runners at the corners, Miller looped a RBI single to center. With the bases loaded, Stahl regained the lead for the Cardinals at 6-5 with a clutch two-run single to left.

Pleiss and Craven began the fifth inning with back-to-back singles, and Pund joined them on base when nobody covered first on his bunt attempt. Hardin came back to get a big strikeout, but a sacrifice fly by Carner tied the game.

MAC picked up singles by Ryan Blankenship and Hulsey in the bottom of the fifth, but a botched squeeze bunt play terminated the scoring threat.

An errant throw on a ground ball to second sparked the winning rally for the Volunteers in the sixth. Webb made the error prove costly with a RBI single to right, and Craven ripped a RBI double down the line in left to give John A. Logan an 8-6 lead.

Craven went 3-for-4 in the game with two doubles for the Volunteers. Eric Barrett struck out two and walked three while surrendering six runs over four innings, but still managed to claim the win.

The Cardinals nearly made their last chance for a comeback count in the home half of the sixth. Joaby Sikes singled with two outs and scored on the second double of the night by Bard to the right-center wall.

However, reliever Cody Dunbar induced the final out on a ground ball to earn the save.

Bard, Spencer and Hulsey were each 2-for-3 at the dish for MAC. Stahl drove in three runs and went 2-for-4.

The same two teams will play two more games at John A. Logan (8-6) on Thursday. Mineral Area (2-6) will then travel to Mississippi over the weekend and begin its spring trip with a game against Pearl River on Sunday.

John A. Logan 430 200 0 - 9 12 1

Mineral Area 110 100 0 - 3 7 0

WP - Johnson 5i 3r 2er 5h 8k 3bb.

LP - Moss 2i 7r 7h 2k 2bb 1hp.

Hitting:

Mineral Area - Miller 2, Crook 2, Bard, Sikes, Spencer.

John A. Logan 010 412 - 8 8 0

Mineral Area 200 401 - 7 12 6

WP - Barrett 4i 6r 8h 2k 3bb 1hb.

LP - Hardin 6i 8r 2er 8h 2k 2bb 2hb.

SV - Dunbar 1/3i 0r 0h 0k 0bb.

Hitting:

John A. Logan - Craven 3, Webb, Pleiss, Pund, Conley, Carner. 2b - Craven 2.

Mineral Area - Spencer 2, Bard 2, Stahl 2, Hulsey 2, Crook, Miller, Sikes, Blankenship. 2b - Bard 2, Spencer. 3b - Crook.