February 8, 2022
The No. 14 East Central Community College baseball team rallied from a deficit in both games on Monday afternoon, February 7, to move to 2-0 on the year with a pair of key, early-season wins over the Northeast Mississippi Community College Tigers, 12-8 and 2-1.
Game One | W, 12-8
The season opener was a slugfest as the two teams combined for 20 runs on 17 hits, but it was a big, six-run frame in the bottom of the seventh that was the difference-maker for the Warriors.
The Tigers got in front 3-0 in the top of the fourth with a single and two-run triple. The Warriors clapped back in the bottom of the fifth as Trey Lewis (Silas, Ala.) ripped a double that scored Conner Hicks (Stringer), who led off the inning with a double of his own. Lewis eventually scored on a passed ball before J.T. Vance (Union) posted a single and Austin Lee(Madison) drew a walk. Kade Turnage (Picayune) eventually drove in both Vance and Lee with a single to centerfield to put ECCC on top, 4-3.
The back-and-forth play continued as Northeast plated two more in the sixth and another in the seventh to regain the lead, 6-4. The Warriors pulled away in the bottom of the seventh as Clayton Cook (Mize) led off with a single before scoring on an error. Hicks later drove in a trio of ECCC runs on a base-clearing double, and Lewis plated him with a single a moment later to push the Warrior lead to 9-6. A passed ball plated Leighton Jenkins (Collinsville) later in the frame to close out the big inning for ECCC.
NEMCC got two back in the eighth, but a pair of RBIs from Jenkins and Lewis added another two runs for ECCC bottom half of the inning.
Miles Miller (Toomsuba) was credited with the victory for the Warriors as the righty gave up three runs on three hits over two and two-thirds innings, fanning three Tigers. Ervin Simmons (Greenville) and Dagan Martin (Philadelphia) entered the game out of the bullpen and helped to close out the game in relief, with Martin picking up the save. Mason Willis (Collinsville) started the game ECCC on the bump. Willis went five innings, allowing three runs on four hits and striking out three.
Seth Bagwell took the loss for Northeast.
Lewis' three hits and three RBIs led ECCC, while Hicks posted two hits and three RBIs as well.
Game Two | W, 2-1
The nightcap was a completely different contest as teams combined for only four hits through the seven-inning bout. It was a pitching duel between NEMCC's Colby Holcombe and ECCC's Grant Edwards (Walker, La.). Along with the strong performances from the starters, both bullpens showed up as ECCC struck out nine batters, to Northeast's 11 in the matchup.
Northeast got on the board in the third inning with an RBI double to centerfield. That lone run would hold until the bottom of the sixth when ECCC capitalized on a pair of walks as both Jacob Castle (Quitman) and Hicks scored on passed balls.
Martin got the win on the mound for ECCC as he surrendered zero runs on zero hits over one and one-third innings, striking out one. Cade Hall (Philadelphia) threw two-thirds of an inning in relief out of the bullpen and fanned one Tiger. Edwards got the start for ECCC and gave up just one run over five innings, striking out seven. Holcombe, NEMCC's starter went four innings, allowing no runs on two hits, and also fanned seven.
Cook, Hicks, and Eli Collins (Laurel) each managed one hit to lead East Central C.C. Warriors.
Logan Bland got Northeast's lone hit in the contest.
Up Next
The Warriors are back at home this Friday, February 11, as the team plays host to the Mississippi Delta Community College Trojans at 2 p.m. Fans can watch that game live at www.eccclive.com/gold.
