Decatur, Ala. – The pressure is all but gone for Northeast Mississippi Community College pitcher Landon Boyd.

Boyd tossed 2.2 innings in relief for the Tigers to earn the initial collegiate victory of his career in a 5-3 win by Northeast over Calhoun (Ala.) Community College on Tuesday afternoon.

The right-hander was roughed up in his first two appearances in a Tiger uniform, both of them starts, but Boyd did not feel anything other than eagerness when entering from the bullpen against the Warhawks.

"I was pretty nervous being a freshman the first couple of games," he said. "That's kind of gone. It had been a week or so since I'd got to throw so I was ready. I came out and felt pretty good."

Boyd took the mound during the fourth inning in a precarious situation on a cloudy and cold day. Calhoun held a 3-1 advantage and had a runner on base with just one out.

But the New Hope High School product turned the momentum when he caught Tyler Willinger with a pickoff while he was attempting to steal third base. Boyd tagged Willinger for the out after a lengthy run down play to end the Warhawks' last major threat.

Northeast evened the score in the sixth. Calhoun reliever Nick Hall, who came into the game with a 0.00 ERA in six appearances, walked Jordan Montgomery and Scott Pala with two outs.

Colby Williams made Hall pay for the pair of free bases with a two RBI single to right field that plated Montgomery and Pala to tie the contest at 3-3.

Boyd (1-2) retired the Warhawks in order in the latter half to set up Easton Hall's heroics in the seventh.

Heath Wood took a full count walk to open the frame and then came around the bases for what turned out to be the deciding run when Hall hit a rocket down the right field line for a double.

"I knew I really needed to square that pitch up," said Hall. "He had been making mistakes. That last pitch he left it up and I hammered it."

The Tigers added an insurance run two batters later. Pinch runner Cody Bo Dillard scored when Calhoun left fielder Jacob Newton made an errant throw on a Riley Alef base hit.

Evan Hickman worked around a leadoff single by Willinger to close the door in the bottom of the seventh when three-hole hitter Justin Friend grounded out to Luke Stanley. It was the first save of the season for Hickman.

Northeast took an early advantage when Williams touched home plate following a fielding error.

Calhoun (7-9) jumped ahead 3-1 after the third when runners scored on a Tiger error, a balk and a RBI single by Mason Throneberry.

Dustin Allen garnered the inaugural start of his collegiate career and went 3.1 innings with two earned runs allowed, four hits and two strikeouts in a no decision.

Andrew Fuhrman (0-2) pitched the final frame for the Warhawks and took the loss after striking out three.

Northeast jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the nightcap with RBI singles by Trent Turner and Drew Wray.

Starter Ethan Taylor was impressive through four innings. The Arkansas Tech University signee sat down nine straight Warhawks to begin the matchup before a Willinger bloop single broke up his perfect game bid.

Tiger hurlers ran into a bit of difficulty in the fifth and gave up four walks in a row. The free gifts knotted the score at 2-2 with only one out and the bases still loaded.

However, David Gibson took the mound and halted the damage with a strikeout and fielder's choice.

The deadlock did not last long after Northeast tallied two runs in the top of the sixth that determined the 4-2 margin of victory. Turner accounted for the winner when he came home on a single by Wray that fell between three Calhoun defenders in short right field.

Josh Peterson then delivered a sharply hit line drive hit that plated Dillard for the final run of the contest.

Blake Drabik secured the triumph with a clean seventh frame for his initial save as a Tiger.

Gibson (1-1) threw 1.2 innings and struck out two to claim the first victory of his sophomore campaign.

The Warhawks sent five men to the hill in game two with Blake Talley (1-1) drawing the loss in relief.

Northeast's pitching staff combined to concede four earned runs and only seven hits in the doubleheader. The tandem of Taylor, Gibson and Drabik granted just two singles in the final contest.

"The last four games they've made some vast improvements," said Tigers headman Kent Farris. "I thought everybody pitched well today. We've been getting ahead and making some key pitches."

Northeast banged out 11 hits in the evening tilt. Turner headed the effort with three base knocks while Dillard, Wood and Wray each had multiple hits as well.

Turner, a freshman from Brandon, is batting .462 over his last four outings with six hits and two RBIs.

It was the second sweep of the season for Northeast (5-7) and the first road wins of the year as well.

"It was something that we were in desperate need of," said Farris. "We had talked about things we needed to do and we played decent defense and had some timely hitting. Those were the keys and the kids stayed at it."

The Tigers continue their multi-week road swing by participating in the Wes Cliburn Memorial Tournament on the campus of Hinds Community College this Friday, March 7. Northeast takes on Kishwaukee (Ill.) College at noon and St. Louis (Mo.) Community College at 3 p.m. in the annual event.