1996

I 4-J 1 - 9k ----

WEEK OF __ ...,._.:....1.._~

ECCC stays in thick of playoff chase The East Central Commumty College Warriors went 5-1 on the diamond last week to run their over– all record to 26-13. They need only five more wins in their remaining II games to break the school record set last spring. At 10 5 in the South Division, the Warriors still have a good shot at making the state tournament and Region 23 Division I tournament. Friday's scheduled contest at Holmes was postponed due to a seri– ou~ automobile accident involving the wife of Bulldog coach Quinby Morgan the previous day. Four games involving EC and Hinds th1s week will help son out the playoft p1cture. EC hosts the Eagles Saturday at I p.m. • EC 16, East Mississippi 2: The Warriors hammered 17 hits to grab the April 8 wm at Decatur. Tommy Bost had three singles to lead EC's off ens~.-. Greg McBride had a single and a triple, while Marcus Thames and Jonathan Crowe both had a single and a double Brandon Williams added a pair of singles. The 22-12 Warriors took a 5-0 lead m the bottom of the first with Bost having a two-run single and Crowe ripping an RBI-double. Thames added a two-run double in the sixth Craig Yowell, the founh of five EC hurlers. got the win with two mmng~ of scoreless relief to run his record to 1-0. EaM Mississippi fell to 10-16. • EC 6-4, Copiah-Lincoln S-0: Wilhs Lally tossed a one-hitter in the Ap1il 10 mghtcap in Decatur as the Warriors completed a sweep to By MARTY STAMPER Democrat sports editor

Members of the East Central Community College baseball team from Neshoba County (from left) are catcher Bryan Madison, infielder Jonathan Jones, outfielder Tommy Bost, and pitcher Craig Vowell. The 26-13 Warriors are slated to host Hinds in a key division doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. in Decatur. improve to 24-12 overall and 8-4 in the South Division. Lally struck out five and walked only one Wolf to improve to 7-3. Jonathan Crowe, Cary Lambert, and Mick Garrity each had a single. Eric Stokes (3-4) took the loss. Mark Jones and Chris Hill each had two single!> for Co-Lin.

Estep tossed a three-hiller in the five-inning blowout Sunday after– noon at Decatur to improve to 8-3. The Warriors gave him more than enough suppon with nine runs in the bottom of the first inning. Marcus Thames had an R BI-double, while former Louisville teammate Ray Ivy · followed with a run-scoring single. Jones then issued five straight walks and mixed in an assortment of passed balls and wild pitches before Brandon Williams had a two-ruh triple and scored the ninth run on another wild pitch. EC added two more runs in the second inning after again receiving five consecutive walks with two outs. Of EC's five hits, Williams had two with a si ngle and a triple. Tommy Bost had a single. The second game was suspended due to heavy rain with Jones holdin a 3-2 lead in the top of the third. Th contest will be resumed at that point on April29. Jones got its runs in the top of the first on four hit\. EC got doubles from Cary Lam, bert and Thames to score twice in the bottom of the first off Bobcat ace Ryan Kennedy. Both teams went to 10-5 in th South Division. EC is 26-13 overall while Jones is 25-9.

EC scored in the bottom of the first when Brandon Williams ingled and cored on a throwing error in a rundown following Marcus Thames' double. Nick Dumas scored on a passed ball in the fifth. Eric Butler had an RBI-single in the sixth, while Jonathan Jones' infield grounder scored EC's fourth run. Marcus Thames had a single and a double for EC, while Tommy Bost had a single. Chris Ard (2-3) took the loss as Co-Lin fell to 13-19-1 overall and 4- 12 in the South. In the opener, EC led 5-2 entering the top of the seventh only to have Co-Lin draw even with three runs. Joey Rigdon (3-1) came on in relief of Kenny Estep to get the win. In the bottom of the seventh , Jason Latham led off with a walk and went to third on a single by Bost. Thames singled in the winning run. Bost had tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first with a massive two-out homer to right field. Dumas went 3-for-3 with three singles to lead EC's offense. Greg McBride added a double, while

• EC 10-3, Southwest 3-4: The Warriors spill a twinbill at Summ1t Saturday. In the opener, Joey Rigdon (4-1) tossed a six-hit complete game, strik– ing out five Bear~. Carey Lambert bad a double and a home run, \\ hi1e Marcus Thames bad two singles and a triple. Ray Ivy added a single and a double. The Warriors scored three runs in the top of the third, added four more in the fifth, and closed with a three– run seventh. All three Southwest runs came in the s1xth and were unearned. David Guy toot... the loss. In the nightcap, Thames had a single and a homer. while Lambert also hit a four-bagger to lead EC. Tommy Bost hit his ninth triple of the year. Jason Latham (1-3) took the loss, while Brad McCrol) got the \\oll1. The Bears fought back from a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. EC's record went to 25- 13 overall and 9-5 in the division. Southwest's went to 9-26,3-15. • EC 11, Jones 1: EC's Kenny