February 17, 2020
A day after sweeping its season-opening doubleheader against Coastal Alabama-North, the No. 15 East Central Community College softball team traveled north Sunday, Feb. 16, to compete in a couple of games in the Northeast Mississippi Community College TigerFest held in Booneville.
The Lady Warriors moved to a perfect 4-0 on the young season with a five-inning 13-3 run-rule win over East Central College (Mo.) in the opener. East Central then defeated Southwest Tennessee 5-0 in the second game shortened to four innings due to time limits on tournament games.
East Central scored in every inning in the opener while collecting 12 hits. Sophomore designated hitter Annabell Watkins (Leake Academy) knocked in four runs with a double and a three-run homer. Freshman second baseman Landree Amis (Newton County) continued her hot start to the season with a single, double, and triple and three RBI. Freshman third baseman Zharia Richardson (Harrison Central) had two hits and two RBI.
Sophomore Braelyn Boykin (Mize) moved to 2-0 in the circle. She pitched the first three innings, giving up no runs on just two hits and three strikeouts.
Game two was scoreless heading to the bottom of the third when sophomore left fielder Olivia Houston (Northwest Rankin) and sophomore catcher Anna McNeer (Canton Academy) opened the inning with singles. After a walk to Richardson, Watkins brought in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Freshman right fielder Sidney Rone (Ethel) then made the score 3-0 with a two-run double. The fourth run of the inning came in on a fielder’s choice.
East Central added a final run in the bottom of the fourth on a Houston single followed by a Richardson double.
Sophomore Brooklyn King (George County) picked up the win giving up just three hits in the shutout.
East Central will next play five games over two days in the Rush Invitational in Meridian Feb. 21-22. The Lady Warriors will face No. 13 Trinity Valley (Texas) at 9 a.m. and San Jacinto College-South (Texas) at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, and then Parkland College (Ill.) at 9 a.m., No. 2 LSU-Eunice (La.) at 11 a.m., and Bishop State (Ala.) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22.
The next home action is not until March 6 when Coahoma visits for an MACJC conference doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. at the Softball Park on campus.
Most all home games can be heard on WKOZ “Cruisin” 98.3 or watched via live stream video at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media.
