A second win over Louisiana State University-Eunice in the Region 23 Tournament was not to be for the East Central Community College Diamond Warriors who fell 12-4 Saturday night to the eventual tournament champions in the rain-delayed event held at Joe G. Moss Field on the Hinds Community College campus in Raymond.
East Central, which finished 39-19 under fourth-year head coach Neal Holliman, had taken a 1-0, first-inning lead but the Bengals responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, added three more runs in the second inning and held the 6-1 advantage through three innings. EC added another run in the fourth inning and two in the sixth and trailed 7-4 after five. The Bengals tallied four runs in the sixth and another run in the seven, when the contest was called due to the eight-run rule.
Quin Stokes and Charles Hill, both of Carthage, each had a double and single to lead the EC offense. Donnie Tabb of Neshoba Central, Andre Yates of Grenada, Richie Long of Carthage, and Vincent Kortbawi, a product of Hale County High School in Moundville, Ala., had singles each. Kortbawi, Stokes and Ernie Triplett of Louisville were credited with an RBI each.
Gabriel Thibodeaux and Zach Kirksey homered to lead LSU-Eunice.
Starter Tyler Dalton of Winston Academy was among five hurlers for EC and took the loss. The right-hander allowed one earned run on two hits during 1/3 inning.
The EC/LSU-Eunice match-up was set up by the Diamond Warriors’ 12-8 loss to Hinds earlier Saturday.
After the Eagles had taken an early 4-0 lead, East Central rallied to take a 6-5 advantage on Richie Long’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. But Hinds regained the lead at 8-6 on Nick Schneeberger’s three-run blast in the sixth. The Diamond Warriors tied the contest at 8-8 on Andre Yates’ sacrifice fly in the seventh, but the Eagles snapped the deadlock in the eighth inning on Grant Morris’s two-run triple and added two more runs in the frame and held on for the win.
Right-hander Allen Johnson of Leake Academy took the loss in relief. Johnson hurled 7 1/3 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. He also fanned four batters and walked three.
East Central began tournament action Thursday by outscoring LSU-Eunice 14-10.
Donnie Tabb and Vincent Kortbawi had three hits each to lead the offense and southpaw Colton Mitchell shut down the LSU-Eunice offense over the final three innings to clinch the victory.
Tabb, a centerfielder and Neshoba Central product, went three-for-six at the plate with a double and two singles. He also had two RBIs and scored twice.
Third-baseman Kortbawi, a product of Hale County High School in Moundville, Ala., collected three singles, knocked in a run and also scored.
Also having productive performances at the plate were Andre Yates of Grenada, and Quin Stokes and Charles Hill, both of Carthage, two singles each. Richie Long of Carthage, Blake Lawson of Biloxi and Ernie Triplett of Louisville had singles each. Long was also the top run producer with three RBIs.
Right-hander Barry Meeks was the starter and allowed three earned runs on nine hits through 3 1/3 innings. He fanned two batters and walked two. Meeks is a product of Patrician Academy in Sweetwater, Ala. Mitchell (8-4) hurled the final 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing just three hits and no earned runs. He also fanned four batters and walked five.
LSU-Eunice defeated Hinds twice Sunday to win the tournament and a berth in the NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, Oklahoma.