May 1, 2019
East Central Community College faced its second straight nationally ranked opponent on the road when the Warriors dropped a baseball doubleheader at No. 17 Meridian Tuesday, April 30.
The Meridian Eagles won the opener 11-1 and then game two 4-1 for the MACJC sweep.
The Warriors are now 20-21 overall on the season and 13-13 in the league. East Central is in a three-way tie for seventh place with the top nine teams earning postseason berths. Meridian improves to 27-13 overall and 16-10 in the conference.
Game one lasted only five innings as Meridian run-ruled the Warriors.
The Eagles scored six times in the second, four in the fourth, and once in the fifth for the 11-1 win. East Central’s only run came on an RBI single from freshman first baseman Evan Keith (Vancleave) in the top of the second.
Meridian scored all its runs on just eight hits, taking advantage of three East Central errors, five walked batters, and two hit batters. One of those Eagle hits was a grand slam off the bat of Kace Garner.
Sophomore left-hander Javian Stone (Jackson, Provine, Highland Community College) got the start and was credited with the loss in three and two-thirds innings on the mound.
Another RBI single by Keith in the top of the second inning gave East Central a 1-0 lead in the nightcap. The Warriors held that lead until the bottom of the sixth when Meridian scored all four of its runs on a couple of singles, a walked batter, an East Central error, and ending with a two-run homer.
Each team collected five hits in the seven-inning game.
Freshman Tanner Knight (Eupora) took the loss for East Central. The right-hander threw five and two-thirds innings, giving up four runs on five hits and striking out four.
East Central closes out the MACJC regular season Saturday, May 4, in Clarksdale against Coahoma starting at 1 p.m.
The final regular season home game will be a nine-inning affair against Shelton State (Ala.) at 6 p.m. on Monday, May 6, at the Clark-Gay Baseball Complex in Decatur.
