February 17, 2018
East Central shortstop Kayla Beckham gets the force out at second base in action against East Mississippi Community College in game one of the EC Invitational in Decatur. (EC Photo)
The No. 10 East Central Community College Lady Warrior softball team picked up a pair of wins to go 2-0 in the EC Invitational Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Softball Park on the ECCC campus in Decatur.
The Lady Warriors had to rally twice in the first game of the day against the East Mississippi Community College Lady Lions before pulling away with six runs in the final two innings for the 9-4 win.
In the third game of the day, the Lady Warriors were hitless until the fourth inning before scoring two late runs and taking a 2-1 win over the Hinds Community College Lady Eagles.
Hinds defeated EMCC 9-7 in the middle game of the afternoon.
With the wins, East Central improved to 7-1 on the season. EMCC is now 2-6 and Hinds is 8-3.
Against EMCC in the opening game of the tournament, the East Central Lady Warriors took a 3-1 lead after three innings thanks to a two-out, two-run single by sophomore Kayla Beckham of Neshoba Central in the bottom of the third inning and a sacrifice fly off the bat of sophomore Mackenzie Johnson of Nanih Waiya in the fourth.
The EMCC Lady Lions briefly grabbed the lead 4-3 in the top of the fifth on a long three-run home run from Camryn Williams that bounced off the roof of the batting practice facility in right field. After that it was all East Central. Williams also homered in the first inning to give EMCC an early 1-0 lead.
The Lady Warriors scored three runs in both the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings for the 9-4 win. Johnson and freshman Macy Brabham of Brookhaven both singled in runs in the fifth. The big blow in the sixth was a two-run homer from sophomore Shelby Walters of Northwest Rankin, her first of the year. Sophomore Eva Scott (Burleson, Texas) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth and doubled in another run in the sixth.
Kaitlyn Oswalt, a sophomore from Heritage Academy in Columbus, picked up the win for East Central going the distance in the circle and giving up six hits and striking out six. Oswalt is now 3-1 on the season.
In the 2-1 win over Hinds, sophomore Madalyn McMahon of Neshoba Central broke up a no-hitter in the bottom of the fourth with a long shot over the center field wall to tie the score 1-1. McMahon then drew a walk with one out in the bottom of the sixth and Beckham quickly doubled her home to give the Lady Warriors the 2-1 lead and the win. East Central managed just two hits in the contest.
Sophomore Mackenzie Rousseau (Vanderbilt Catholic, Houma, La.) got the win to move to 4-0 on the season.
East Central will host three doubleheaders next week. Marion Military Institute visits Decatur on Tuesday, Feb. 20, for games at 2 and 4 p.m.; Coastal Alabama-North visits Saturday, Feb. 24, at 1 and 3 p.m.; and Calhoun Community College visits Sunday, Feb. 25, at 1 and 3 p.m. to make up games originally scheduled for Feb. 6.
Most home softball games can be heard on WKOZ Cruisin 98.3 or via audio stream and live stream video at www.eccc.edu/eccc-media.
