February 10,2021
It was a busy night for the scorekeepers on Tuesday as the East Central Warriors and Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs squared off in Perkinston. The games were split between the squads, but only after an onslaught of runs. The split moves East Central to 2-4 on the season and the Bulldogs to 1-3.
Game One | W, 16-13
The opening game on Tuesday night saw loads of action as the two squads racked up 29 runs on 27 hits. The Warriors were looking good early with a 4-0 lead after one and half innings of play with a homer from Amani Larry (Bossier City, La.) and a pair of RBIs from Conner Hicks (Stringer) and Clayton Cook (Mize), but the Bulldogs bit back in the bottom half of the second with a four-run frame to knot the game at 4-4.
The Warriors were back out in front in the fourth with a Hicks' sacrifice fly and Kade Turnage (Picayune) scoring on a wild pitch, but Gulf Coast answered with one run, cutting the lead to 6-5.
ECCC's bats exploded in the top of the sixth as Jacob Holifield (Semmes, Ala.) led things off with a single before Eli Harrison (Little Rock), Hicks, Cook, and Larry all ripped RBI-doubles. Another run on a wild pitch later in the inning made it 12-5 in ECCC's favor going into the bottom of the sixth.
Despite the big inning, Gulf Coast stuck around and plated seven in the seventh on a couple of doubles and errors. Going into the eighth, we were once again tied, this time at 12-12.
The Warriors big offensive night wasn't done as Hicks drove in one in the top of the ninth on a sac fly and Cook added two more on yet another RBI double before scoring later in the frame on a passed ball. Gulf Coast hit a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth, but a swinging strikeout one batter later sealed the 16-13 ECCC win.
Gates Pee (Clinton) got the win on the mound he surrendered four runs on three hits over three innings, striking out two and walking one. Jeremy Martin (Slidell, La.) got the start for ECCC while Hayden West (Decatur) and Ethan Nichols (Gulfport) joined Pee in relief out of the bullpen.
Hicks and Cook both posted team-high four RBI games at the plate, while Larry led the way with three hits.
Game Two | L, 7-4
The nightcap wasn't as explosive but was still a high-scoring affair. The Warriors were the first on the board with a Larry RBI single in the top of the third that plated two runs. An error and wild pitch kept the Bulldogs in it in the bottom of the third as they tied the game at 2-2. MGCCC took a 3-2 lead in the fourth before Larry drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game once more, this time at 3-3.
The Bulldogs pulled away in the bottom of the fifth with a grand slam from McWhorter, making it 7-3. ECCC never gave in and got a run in the top of the seventh on a passed ball, but Gulf Coast hung on to the lead.
Holifield took the loss for the Warriors as he got the start from the mound. The righty went four and a third innings, allowing six runs on four hits and striking out seven. Walker Johnson (Mantee) and Miles Miller (Toomsuba) both saw action as well.
Larry led the Warriors with two hits and two RBIs in the contest.
ECCC is back on the diamond this Friday, Feb. 12 as they host Co-Lin at the Clark/Gay Baseball Complex at 2 p.m. That game can be watched live at www.eccclive.com/gold.
