March 4, 2021
The East Central Community College Warriors silenced the big bats of No. 7 Pearl River Community College as they picked up two wins to sweep the Wildcats Wednesday, March 3. The wins move the Warriors to 7-5 on the year and to 4-0 in MACCC play. Pearl River falls to 10-4.
Game One | W, 7-5
The Warriors jumped all over the Wildcats early in the game one as three runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the first. A pair of singles from Clayton Cook (Mize) and Amani Larry (Bossier City, La.) along with Roper Ball (Noxapater) reaching on an error loaded the bases. A passed ball scored Cook before Jesse Boydstun (Louisville) cleared them out with a standup double to push the lead to 3-0.
Pearl River threatened in the top of the second by loading the bases, but solid pitching from Hayden West (Decatur) got the Warriors out of the jam to hold on to the lead. The Warriors kept the offensive momentum going in the second frame as an RBI single from Larry grew the lead to 4-0.
PRCC's Von Seibert cut the lead to three with one swing in the third with a solo homer to right field, but that was all the damage the Wildcats could do as Ball fanned the last batter to get out of the inning.
In the top of the fourth, John Griffin Bell knotted the game at 4-4 with a three-run homer to left-center field.
ECCC was able to respond with an RBI single from Cook. Cook advanced to third on an error before he decided to head home as the Wildcats seemed to think the play had ended. The heads-up baserunning put the Warriors on top, 6-4.
Pearl River's bats kept them in it in the top of the sixth as D.K. Donaldson hit a solo shot to pull the game within one, 6-5, but Kade Turnage (Picayune) stole home in the bottom of the eighth for an ECCC insurance run.
The Warriors got the Wildcats three-up-three-down in the top of the ninth with two strikeouts from Walker Johnson (Mantee) to seal the win.
Ball earned the win for the Warriors. Ball surrendered five runs on five hits over four innings, striking out five and walking zero. Johnson and West entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief. Johnson recorded the last nine outs to earn the save.
Turner Swistak picked up the loss for the Wildcats.
A pair of hits each from Cook and Larry led the Warriors at the plate, while Boydstun's two RBIs were a team-high.
Game Two | W, 4-3
The Warriors were the first on the scoreboard yet again in the nightcap with an RBI single from Austin Lee (Madison) in the top of the first. The score started some back-and-forth action between the clubs as the Wildcats got one in the top of the second before Cook picked up an RBI with a line-drive single to center field to regain the lead for the Warriors. As before, PRCC responded with a run in the top of the third, tying it at 2-2.
After several scoreless innings, Turnage drew a walk in the bottom of the sixth. J.T. Vance (Union) followed with a big-time triple to plate Turnage and put the Warriors on top, 3-2.
The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the seventh, 3-3, and the Warriors loaded the bags in the bottom of the frame but were unable to score which sent the game to extra innings.
Ty McCollough (Greenville) reached base on single to lead things off in the bottom of the eighth. After a walk and another single, he was standing on third with just one out. A passed ball allowed him to bolt home and secure the 4-3 walk-off win.
Miles Miller (Toomsuba) earned the victory on the hill for the Warriors. The righthander surrendered one run on zero hits over two and two-thirds innings, striking out two. Gates Pee (Clinton) and Jeremy Martin (Slidell, La.) entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief.
Cook was electric for the Warriors as he posted four hits in five at-bats with an RBI to lead the way at the plate.
Up Next
The Warriors are on the road this Saturday, March 6, as the team travels to Goodman to face the Holmes Bulldogs. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 2 p.m.
