March 3, 2017
ECCC's Kayla Beckham had a two-run home run in the first game of the doubleheader. (EC Photo)
The No. 12 East Central Community College softball team dropped its first game of the season in a 3-1 loss in the nightcap of a doubleheader Thursday, March 2, at Baton Rouge Community College in Baton Rouge, La.
The Lady Diamond Warriors won the first game of the afternoon 9-2. The games were delayed almost two hours as the East Central team bus was stuck in traffic for an extended period in the Jackson area because of a law enforcement situation on Interstate 20.
With the split, East Central is now 13-1 on the season, while the NJCAA Division I Lady Bears improved to 12-20.
The key for the Lady Diamond Warriors in game one was a six run top of the fourth inning. Freshman shortstop Kayla Beckham out of Neshoba Central had a two-run home run in the inning. Sophomore second baseman Latesia Davis from Newton County High School and freshman Katherine Shell from Brookhaven High School both doubled in a runs, and two more runs crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly and an error. Beckham drove in four runs in the contest.
Baton Rouge out-hit East Central 12-10 in the opener.
Freshman Kaitlyn Oswalt, who prepped at Heritage Academy in Columbus, picked up her ninth win in the circle against no defeats.
East Central fell behind early in game two and never recovered. Baton Rouge put three runs on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second on a two-run homer and a bases loaded walk.
The Lady Warriors’ lone run came in the top of the third on a double by freshman right fielder Mackenzie Johnson out of Nanih Waiya High School.
Freshman pitcher Mackenzie Rousseau out of Vanderbilt Catholic in Houma, La., picked up her first loss of the year in the circle. She gave up seven hits and two earned runs in six innings of work. She is now 4-1 on the season.
The Lady Diamond Warriors begin MACJC play on Tuesday, March 7, against No. 3 ranked Jones County Junior College in a doubleheader in Ellisville beginning at 4 p.m.
East Central returns home Friday, March 10, to face Coahoma Community College at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Softball Park in Decatur.
