March 24, 2019
The East Central Community College softball team rebounded from a couple of midweek losses to No. 1 raned Jones College by scoring 31 runs on 36 hits in a doubleheader sweep against the East Mississippi Lady Lions in action Saturday, March 23, at the softball field on the EMCC campus in Scooba.
The Lady Warriors won the opener 21-3 and followed that with a come-from-behind 10-7 win in game two.
East Central is now 11-7 on the season and 4-2 in MACJC league play and a tie for sixth place. The top eight teams in conference play at the end of the season qualify for the state playoffs. The EMCC Lady Lions are 0-11 and 0-6.
The Lady Warriors pounded out 23 hits in the opener, including four by freshman left fielder Olivia Houston (Northwest Rankin) who hit for the cycle with a single, double, triple, and home run and seven RBI.
East Central scored seven times in the top of the first, twice in the second, four times in the third, and eight more in the fourth of the five-inning run-rule game. Freshman second baseman Kaylee Webb (Ruston, La.) had four hits and freshman catcher Anna McNeer (Canton Academy) had three. Freshman designated hitter MaKenzie Barnett (Neshoba Central) drove in four runs with a pair of doubles, and freshman right fielder EmilySue Parkman (Lake) brought in four runs with a double and a triple. Freshman first baseman Annabell Watkins (Leake Academy) had a three-run homer.
Freshman Jesalyn Jarrette (Baskin, La., Franklin Academy) threw all five innings in the circle, giving up six hits and striking out three batters.
Things weren’t as easy in game two, as the Lady Warriors needed five runs in the top of the sixth inning to overcome a 7-3 deficit. East Central added a couple of insurance runs in the top of the seventh for the 10-7 win. Only two of East Mississippi’s runs were earned as the Lady Warriors committed four errors.
The Lady Warriors took an early 2-0 lead on a two-run single by sophomore shortstop Annika Jones (Leake Academy) in the first inning. With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the fourth, Parkman’s solo homer gave East Central a 3-2 lead. East Mississippi then scored five times in the bottom of the frame to take the 7-3 lead.
In the game-deciding top of the sixth which gave East Central an 8-7 lead, Houston knocked in two runs with a double followed by a three-run homer from McNeer. The Lady Warriors extended that lead to the final 10-7 in the next inning with a run on a fielder’s choice and another on a McNeer double.
Houston had four more hits in game two to lead East Central. Freshman center fielder Parker Breland (Union) had two doubles.
Freshman Braelyn Boykin (Mize) pitched all seven innings for the win.
The Lady Warriors will stay on the road to face the Meridian Lady Eagles at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 26. The next home action is when No. 18 ranked Itawamba visits the East Central Softball Park for games at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, March 29.
Most East Central home softball games can be heard on WKOZ “Cruisin” 98.3 or watched via live stream video at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media.
