March 21, 2022
The East Central Community College Lady Warriors softball team split a pair of road MACCC contests over spring break to move to 15-9 overall and to 4-2 in conference play. ECCC took on No. 13 Southwest Mississippi on Wednesday, March 16, and fell in the opener, 12-8, before bouncing back in game two for a 17-9 victory. The team had a similar story on Saturday, March 19, as the Lady Warriors traveled to Goodman to take on the Holmes Lady Bulldogs. Holmes took the opener 9-1, but ECCC responded in the nightcap with a 7-1 victory in an extra-inning affair.
Emily McDonald got hits in three of the four contests but reached base in each game to extend her reached base streak to a team-high 15 games.
Game One vs Southwest | L, 12-8
Southwest jumped out to an early lead in the opener as the Lady Bears plated five runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lady Warriors hit back in the top of the second with two runs in the top of the second off a Mary Moore Widemire RBI single, but Southwest got those runs right back in the bottom half to make it, 7-2.
Meadow Villar roped a solo homer in the fourth, but again the Lady Bears plated runs in the home half of the frame, pushing the lead to 11-3.
The Lady Warriors battled in the fifth and plated four runs on an RBI single from Villar, a sac fly from Emmi Harkins, and an RBI double from Lizzy Hollingsworth.
Shante' Beaulieu plated a run on a fielding error in the seventh, but it was not enough as Southwest won it 12-8.
Southwest outhit ECCC by just one, 10-9, but errors proved the difference as the Lady Warriors committed six in the field.
Villar was ECCC's only multi-hit player with two in the game.
Caroline Jackson threw five innings in the contest, surrendering nine hits, 11 runs – eight earned – three walks, and one strikeout. Makayla White threw an inning in relief and gave up one hit, one run – unearned – and both walked and struck out zero.
Game Two vs Southwest | W, 17-9
The Lady Warriors responded in a big way in the nightcap against Southwest as ECCC racked up 17 runs on 16 hits.
A Hollingsworth solo homer in the second got the scoring started, but responded with three in the bottom of the second.
In the third, Widemire went yard with a solo shot before Madison Holton posted an RBI single. Jayce Currie got in on the long-ball action with a three-run shot later in the inning to put ECCC on top, 6-3.
ECCC plated an additional five runs in the fourth as Mattie Hodge and McDonald ripped a pair of RBI singles. Villar plated a run on sac fly and Currie blasted her second homer of the game, this one a solo shot. The big frame put the Lady Warriors on top, 11-3.
Southwest chipped back in the fourth and scored six, but ECCC got one back in the sixth with a Villar homer, ECCC's fifth homer of the game. Widemire, McDonald, and Villar plated another set of runs with some RBI singles in the seventh before Holton plated a run on a sac fly to push the Lady Warrior advantage to 17-9.
McDonald finished the day going 4-for-5 at the plate, while Villar and Hollingsworth both posted three hits. Currie and Widemire each finished with two. Villar and Currie, with the help of homers, led the team in RBIs with four each.
Currie threw three innings and surrender 11 hits, nine runs – eight earned – walked two, and struck out one. Rae Rae Evans threw four stellar innings in relief and gave up just one hit, no runs, walked one, and struck out four.
Game One vs Holmes | L, 9-1
A six-run fourth inning was the difference-maker in game one against Holmes as the Lady Warriors bats went cold. The Lady Bulldogs posted 10 hits to the Lady Warriors two.
ECCC's lone run in the game came in the third after Beaulieu ripped a triple to right field. Widemire followed and grounded out to short, but scored the run.
Harkins had ECCC's other hit in the contest.
Caroline Jackson got the start in the circle and went three innings. The freshman gave up five hits, four runs – all earned – with one walk. White threw a third of an inning in relief and gave up three hits, four runs – all earned. Currie rounded out the Lady Warriors rotation with one and a third innings. She gave up two hits, one run – earned – walked one, and fanned one.
Game Two vs Holmes | W, 7-1 (9-innings)
Game two against Holmes was a slow burner until the Lady Warriors lit up the Lady Bulldogs in extra innings.
Holmes was on the scoreboard early as the Lady Bulldogs took home on a pickoff attempt.
The Lady Warriors responded in the top of the fourth on a solo homer from Anna Caime, her second of the year. That 1-1 score would hold as Evans and Holmes' Elleigh Willis went toe-to-toe in a pitcher's duel.
The next three frames were scoreless which sent the contest to extras. The game was ECCC's second extra-inning game of the year as the Lady Warriors downed Marion Military in the season opener 6-5 in eight frames.
Neither team got runs in the eighth, but the Lady Warriors came to life in the ninth as McDonald drove in the go-ahead run on an RBI single. Widemire followed suit and plated a run with an RBI single before Taylor Pittman drew a bases-loaded walk. An error plated another ECCC runner and Drewnae Pickens scored the final run as she stole home.
Holmes led off the bottom with a double and got another on with a hit-by-pitch, but Evans got the win with a pair of flyouts and a strikeout.
Villar and Widemire posted two hits each to lead ECCC at the plate.
Evans threw a complete 9-inning game in the circle. She gave up just five hits, one run – earned – walked three, and struck out four in the win.
Up Next
The Lady Warriors return home this week for a pair of MACCC doubleheaders as ECCC hosts Pearl River on Wednesday, March 23, at 3 and 5 p.m. before taking on Itawamba on Saturday, March 26, at 1 and 3 p.m. All four games can be seen live at www.eccclive.com/gold.
