May 5, 2022
The East Central Community College Lady Warrior softball team closed out the 2022 season on Thursday afternoon, May 5, with a 6-2 loss to the Northeast Mississippi Lady Tigers in the MACCC Tournament. The game was held in Ellisville on the campus of Jones College, the MACCC regular-season champions. ECCC finished the year 27-21 overall.
A single and a pair of walks loaded the bases in the top of the first for ECCC in the second straight game. Emmi Harkins got a run in as she was hit by a ball on the sixth pitch of her at-bat. That was all for the Lady Warriors as three runners were left stranded sending ECCC to the field with a 1-0 lead.
Northeast hit back in the bottom of the second with four runs on a pair of RBI singles and an RBI double. The big frame gave the Lady Tigers a three-run lead, which they never surrendered for the remainder of the game.
The Lady Tigers added another one in the bottom of the third to make it 5-1, but Anna Caime drove home an ECCC run in the top of the fourth with a sac fly to left. The sacrifice plated Mattie Hodge who had ripped a double earlier in the frame. Northeast scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to the final, 6-2.
The Lady Warriors racked up eight hits on the day, but could not get the runners home as 12 Lady Warriors were stranded on the bags throughout the day. Hodge led the way at the plate for ECCC with three hits in three at-bats, while Harkins and Lizzy Hollingsworth both posted multi-hit games.
Caroline Jackson got the start in the circle and picked up the loss as she went one and two thirds. She gave up four earned runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout. Rae Rae Evans finished the game for the Lady Warriors and went four and a third, giving up two runs – both earned – on eight hits with one walk.
Taylor King led Northeast with three hits, while Emma Dempsey got the win in the circle.
The Lady Warriors will now turn their attention to offseason preparation for the 2023 season.
