April 2, 2021
The East Central Community College Warriors improved to 19-9 on the year and have won nine of the last 11 games as they swept a pair of contests from the Co-Lin Wolves in Decatur on Thursday night, April 1. The wins drop the Wolves to 14-16 overall. The games were makeup games from earlier in the year so they do not count towards the MACCC standings, but were stellar performances nonetheless.
Game One | W, 12-0 (5 innings)
The East Central offense was basically unstoppable as the team poured in at least a run in every frame. Pair that offensive showcase with a two-pitcher shutout and it is a 12-0 run-rule Warrior win.
Jesse Boydstun (Louisville) and Kade Turnage (Picayune) both drove in runs in the bottom of the first to get the game started, while a sac fly from Roper Ball (Noxapater) in the second grew the lead to 3-0. A pair of walks started the third for ECCC and Turnage drove in another run before Trey Lewis (Silas, Ala.) posted an RBI on a groundout. The ECCC bats really exploded in the bottom of the fourth as seven runs came across. Eli Harrison (Little Rock), Lewis, and Stephen Wolf (Madison) hit three RBI singles in a row, followed by two more from Ball and Amani Larry (Bossier City, La.) later in the frame to push the lead to 12-0.
Gage Tufnell (Hurley) got the win on the bump as he surrendered zero runs on two hits over four innings, striking out four and walking one. Jeremy Martin (Slidell, La.) threw the final frame in relief.
Turnage led ECCC at the dish with a 3-for-3 performance. Ball posted a team-high three RBIs.
Game One | W, 4-3
The nightcap was a much closer contest as the action was back and forth. The Warriors plated one run in fourth, two in the fifth, and one in the sixth to get the victory.
Co-Lin was the first on the board as the Wolves capitalized on a passed ball in the second inning. The Warriors retaliated in the fourth as Larry, who led off with a walk, eventually scored on a passed ball. Co-Lin was quick to hit back as an RBI double in the fifth put them back on top, 2-1.
Branson Sharpley (Taylorsville) ripped a double for the Warriors in the fifth to knot the game at 2-2 before crossing the plate himself later in the frame on a Co-Lin error. The big inning put ECCC up, 3-2.
Co-Lin refused to give in as a sac fly tied the game for the third time, this time at 3-3 in the sixth, but much like the rest of the game, the Warriors mirrored the Wolves as Lewis flew out to right allowing Boydstun to tag up and score the go-ahead run.
Walker Johnson (Mantee) headed to the mound for the final frame and picked up the save as he secured the win. Hayden West (Decatur) got the win from the bump as he went one inning, allowing zero runs on zero hits, striking out. Ervin Simmons (Greenville) got the start for ECCC and Gates Pee (Clinton), Miles Miller (Toomsuba), and Jacob Holifield(Semmes, Ala.) all threw in relief.
Boydstun and Harrison led the Warriors at the plate with two hits each, while Lewis and Sharpley picked up the only RBIs of the game.
Up Next
The Warriors are back at home on Tuesday, April 6 as the Hinds Eagles travel to Decatur for a MACCC doubleheader. The games are set to start at 3 and 6 p.m. and can been seen live at www.eccclive.com/gold.
