March 20, 2018
Sophomore Melanie McMillan of Lake makes the stop at third in game one of the sweep over Coahoma. (EC Photo)
The No. 10 ranked East Central Community College Lady Warriors had a big day at the plate pounding out 33 hits, including six home runs, in a doubleheader sweep over the visiting Coahoma Community College Lady Tigers Monday, March 19, in Decatur.
East Central won the opener 18-2 and then came back to take the second game 17-0.
The Lady Warriors improved to 16-6 overall with the MACJC sweep and evened their league record at 5-5. Coahoma fell to 0-12 on the season and 0-10 in the conference.
East Central put both games against Coahoma away early. The Lady Warriors scored nine runs in the first inning of the opener, including a solo home run by Shelby Walters of Northwest Rankin, a two-run shot by Ali Gartman of Loyd Star High School, and a three-run home run by Madalyn McMahon out of Neshoba Central. Eva Scott (Burleson, Texas, Centennial) brought in two runs with a triple.
The Lady Warriors also had a six-run third inning that included a three-run home run from Mackenzie Johnson, who prepped at Nanih Waiya. Johnson had four RBI in the win, while Gartman, McMahon, and Scott had three apiece.
Kaitlyn Oswalt out of Heritage Academy in Columbus got the start in the circle and the win throwing three innings of two-hit ball. Anna Norris of Oak Grove, Ala., pitched the final two innings of the run-rule game.
East Central had 20 hits in game two and jumped out to an 8-0 lead after just one inning. Just as she did in game one, Walters opened the second game with a solo home run. She batted again in the first inning and hit a two-run homer to close out the scoring.
The Lady Warriors added four more runs in the second on an RBI double from Tagen Remmel of Clinton, RBI singles from Kenyatta Moore of Philadelphia and Macy Brabham of Brookhaven, and a sacrifice fly from McMahon. Four more runs crossed the plate in the bottom of the third. Katherine Shell of Brookhaven had an RBI double, Annika Jones of Leake Academy drove in two runs with a triple, and Moore had another RBI single.
Jones and Walters each had three RBI in the nightcap, while Shell and Remmel were each a perfect four for four at the plate.
Mackenzie Rousseau (Houma, La., Vanderbilt Catholic) got the win with three innings of no-hit softball. Madison York of Ocean Springs provided relief over the final two innings.
Walters’ day at the plate included three hits in five at-bats, three home runs, five RBI, and five runs scored. Johnson had five hits in five trips to the plate, six RBI, and four runs scored.
The Lady Warriors will take on No. 8 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Wednesday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Those games will be played at Biloxi High School.
Baton Rouge Community College will come to Decatur on Friday, March 23, to make up games that were rained out March 16. The doubleheader begins at 1 p.m. East Central will also be at home Monday, March 26, to host Southwest Mississippi Community College at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
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.
Sophomore Mackenzie Johnson of Nanih Waiya is greeted at home plate after hitting a three-run homer in the first game win over Coahoma. (EC Photo)
