Hinds Community College’s first foray to Vicksburg’s new sports complex ended in a split decision.

Josh Cofield went 3-for-3 with a run scored, and Walker Burchfield drove in the go-ahead runs with a single in the bottom of the sixth inning as Hinds beat Baton Rouge Community College 3-1 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at the new Sports Force Parks on the Mississippi.

Baton Rouge CC turned the tables in game two by scoring twice in the top of the seventh inning to steal a 6-5 win and earn a split.

The two games were the first college baseball games at Sports Force Parks, a multiple field facility on Fisher Ferry Road that opened last weekend. The games were moved to Vicksburg from Raymond because of wet field conditions at Hinds’ Joe G. Moss Field. All of the fields at Sports Force Parks have artificial turf.

Hinds (3-3) got some solid pitching and timely hitting to take game one of Wednesday’s doubleheader.

Joshua Banes, a former Central Hinds Academy standout, allowed one run and two hits in 5 1/3 innings on the mound. He walked two and struck out four. Preston Johnson followed him with 1 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

Cofield and Burchfield, a former Clinton High School star, provided the offense.
Burchfield walked leading off the second inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by Pablo Lazarote to give Hinds a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the sixth, Jovante Dorris and Cofield started things off with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position with a double steal. Burchfield then singled to center to bring in both runners and give the Eagles a 3-1 lead.

Baton Rouge put two runners on in the top of the seventh, but Johnson got a pair of strikeouts to end the game. Both games were shortened to seven innings for the doubleheader.

In game two, Cofield went 2-for-4 with a triple, RBI and two runs scored, and Burchfield was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, but Baton Rouge rallied late for the 6-5 victory.

Two walks and a two-run single by Jordin Labruzza in the top of the seventh inning gave Baton Rouge the win. Labruzza finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Luke Lancon also had two hits, including a double, and scored twice for the Bears.

Hinds is scheduled to return to Raymond, weather and field conditions permitting, for a three-game homestand starting Saturday against Panola (Texas). The Eagles will play a single game against Panola Saturday at 6 p.m. They’ll then host a doubleheader against Arkansas Baptist on Tuesday beginning at 2 p.m.