April 20, 2017
Battling for playoff positioning, the East Central Community College baseball team picked up a crucial doubleheader sweep over Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson on Wednesday, April 19.
East Central overcame an early deficit to win game one 11-9 and then took the nightcap 16-8.
With the wins, East Central improved to 26-12 overall and 12-8 in MACJC league play. More importantly, the Warriors moved into a tie for fifth place in league play with the top nine teams qualifying for post-season play.
East Central had to overcome a shaky start in game one. Co-Lin put three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first to take an early 3-0 lead. East Central responded with 10 unanswered runs over the next five innings to take a 10-2 lead.
Nathan Roseberry out of Purvis keyed the comeback with a grand slam in the top of the fourth. Tyler Ladner of Pass Christian had a solo home run in the top of the fifth.
The Warriors had to hold off a late charge by the Wolves. Co-Lin scored six runs over the final three innings to pull the final score to 11-9.
Luke Yancey of East Rankin Academy had three hits in game one, while Ladner, Billy Cameron of Mendenhall and Ty Alderman of Newton County Academy had two each. Ladner and Zach Parker of Quitman had two RBI each.
Freshman Tanner Elders out of Newton County picked up the win in relief. He tossed three innings of one-hit baseball.
In the game two win, East Central had two big innings to put the game away. The Warriors scored six in the top of the second and seven in the fifth en route to the 16-8 win. East Central pounded out 17 hits, including four doubles, in the win.
Cameron led the offensive output with three hits and three RBI. Roseberry and Jacob Edwards of Newton County had two hits each. Five Warriors had two hits each.
Christian Bellew of Gulfport took the win in game two with 1.1 innings of no-hit baseball in relief.
East Central returns to action Friday, April 21, to host Itawamba Community College in doubleheader action beginning at 4 p.m. at the Clark-Gay Baseball Complex in Decatur. The Diamond Warriors will then travel to Meridian Community College on Tuesday, April 25, for a doubleheader that begins at 4 p.m.
The Warriors will host Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on Wednesday, May 3, at 3 p.m., before closing out regular season play on Saturday, May 6, at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia at 2 p.m.
