Kole Kittrell threw a 13-0 no-hitter to clinch a Mississippi Gulf Coast sweep of East Mississippi on Saturday in Scooba. The Bulldogs won the opener 14-4 in seven innings, and the second game ended in five.
"It's a big accomplishment," Kittrell said. "I'm super proud I could get it. It means a lot to me."
He struck out six and walked one while throwing 52 of 67 pitches for strikes.
"It's as good as he's thrown since he's been a starter," Gulf Coast coach Rodney Batts said. "He had all his stuff working. His breaking ball was really good, and so was his fastball. He really located his pitches well."
It was the first Bulldogs no-hitter since Dylan Mills-Derouen beat East Central 3-0 on April 20, 2016.
Gulf Coast has now won four straight to improve to 29-13 overall, 13-11 MACJC. The Bulldogs jumped to seventh in the conference standings and need one more win to clinch a postseason berth.
Kittrell's job was made easier by a nine-run top of the first.
"It's so much easier coming into the game with that big lead," he said. "You just have to stay in the zone and let everything else work for you."
Gulf Coast pounded 18 hits, with Colby Cagle going 4-for-4 with a double and three RBI. He had six hits in the doubleheader and drove in six.
All nine Game 2 starters had hits, with Brandon Parker (Fr, West Harrison/Saucier) getting three. Dylan Menhennett (So, Biloxi/Biloxi), Alden Davis (Fr, Pascagoula/Pascagoula) and Logan McGrew (So, Sumrall/Sumrall) had two hits each.
Game 1 starter Ty Barnes nearly matched Kittrell. He was perfect through four innings but allowed two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth. Barnes struck out 10 and walked four.
Menhennett hit his ninth home run of the year, and Cagle had another double. Menhennett, Davis, McGrew, Cagle and Dustan Dille (Fr, Brookwood/Tuscaloosa, Ala.) had two hits.
"All throughout the lineup we had big hits," Batts said. "We got hits at the right time with runners in scoring position. That was good to see us continue that. Hopefully that continues into our last week."
Gulf Coast closes the regular season with a pair of home doubleheaders. East Central visits Ken "Curly" Farris Field on Wednesday, with first pitch at 3 p.m., and Northeast will be in Perkinston on Saturday.
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