February 12, 2022
The East Central Community College Warrior baseball team remained undefeated on Friday, February 11, with a pair of wins over Mississippi Delta. The wins mark the middle of an eight-game homestand to open the 2022 season for the Warriors.
Game One | W, 11-5
The Mississippi Delta Trojans blew the game open in the top of the third with a four-run frame, with the help of a three-run homer. The Trojans added another run in the top of the fourth to push the early lead to 5-0 over the Warriors.
Eli Collins (Laurel) cut into that Trojan lead in the bottom of the fourth as he smoked a two-run homer to left to plate Conner Hicks (Stringer) who led off the inning with a double. Just two batters later, Coleton Smith (Gulfport) got in on the long-ball game with a towering solo homer.
In the bottom of the fifth, Ty McCollough (Greenville) led off for the Warriors with a double. He was eventually driven in on a sacrifice fly from Clayton Cook (Mize) later in the inning to pull ECCC within one, 5-4.
The Warriors tied things up just a couple of innings later after a quick sixth. Dylan Grayson (Forrest) led off with a hard-hit ball up the middle, was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, took third on a passed ball during a Leighton Jenkins (Collinsville) walk, and was driven in on an RBI single from Cook. Hicks plated Jenkins on a groundout to give ECCC the first lead of the afternoon, 6-5.
Collins continued his big day later in the frame as he blasted a stand-up triple off the wall in center field to score Cook and grow the lead to 7-5. Smith once again followed, this time with a three-run homer, his second of the day, that seemed to land on the tennis courts. The big shot grew the lead to 10-5. The frame seemed never-ending for the Trojans as Kade Turnage (Picayune) drew a walk and was immediately driven home on a Grayson double making it 11-5.
Gage Tufnell (Hurley) got the start on the bump for the Warriors. The sophomore threw three innings, surrendered five runs on eight hits, struck out three, and walked two Trojans. Miles Miller (Toomsuba) checked in to start the fourth. He also lasted three frames and gave up no runs, struck out four, and did not give up a base on balls.
Cade Hall (Philadelphia) earned the win for the Warriors The lefty surrendered zero runs on two hits over the final three innings, striking out two and walking one.
Brennan Duhe took the loss for Delta. He went two-thirds of an inning, allowing five runs on three hits.
Hicks, Collins, Smith, and Grayson's two hits led the Warriors at the dish with Smith's four RBIs being a team-high.
Game Two | W, 7-3
The Warriors took advantage of some early Trojan errors in the nightcap as Trey Lewis (Silas, Ala.), Austin Green (Pearl) and J.T. Vance (Union) reached base on a walk and hit by pitches in the bottom of the first. Two came home on a fielding error as Austin Lee (Madison) sent a ball straight through Delta's second baseman's legs, and Vance scored on another fielding miscue. Lee came across the plate on a Jenkins RBI-single to give the Warriors an early 5-0 lead.
Delta got one back in the top of the third with a couple of singles, but ECCC limited the damage with a double play.
The Warriors hit right back with a sac-fly RBI from Turnage in the bottom half of the frame, pushing the lead back to five, 6-1.
The Trojans did not go quietly as a two-run homer in the top of the fourth cut the lead to three, 6-3, but ECCC got another run in the bottom of the fourth as Lewis took advantage of some throwing errors to find his way home, making it 7-3, ECCC.
The pitching and defensive play ramped up over the final innings securing the Warrior victory.
David Burton (Decatur) was credited with the victory for the Warriors. He lasted four innings, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out four and walking one. Ervin Simmons (Greenville), Cole Wilkerson (Collinsville), and Luke Odom (Hattiesburg) all put in work in relief out of the bullpen.
Jenkins and Vance were the only Warriors with hits in the contest, while Lee's two RBIs led the way.
Up Next
The Warriors are at home again this Wednesday, February 16, as ECCC plays host to Nunez Community College. The doubleheader is slated for 2 and 5 p.m. start times and can be seen live at www.eccclive.com/gold.
