1998

WEEKOF ____ s_- ~6_-~9~K~------

Diamond Warriors win By MARTY STAMPER Democrat Sport!> f.ditor

"At one of our pre-game meals about three weeks ago. I told the team that if we made it to the state playoffs, I thought we'd win it. But I wasn't. sure we'd even get in the play– offs. "It's a happy day in Warriorville." Next up for the 31-20 Warriors is a 7 p.m. Thursday rematch with 21-26 East Mississippi in the first round of the Region 23 .Division I Tournament at Meridian Community College. Also. in that six-team double-elimination tournament are eighth-ranked Merid– ian (43-9), Mississippi Delta (27-21), Gulf Coast (35-17), and Delgado. • EC 13, East Mississippi 6: The Warriors used a 90-minute electric delay prior to the start of Friday night's contest to recharge their offense. Greg Wood and Neshoba Central grad J ason Willis had the biggest jolts as they both launched grand slam homers. EC used a double by Willis and a couple of misplayed balls by the Lions to take a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The 29-20 Warriors added five more runs in the second, four coming on Wood's massive homer to left field. After the 21-25 Lions scored twice

The 1998 East Central Community College baseball team assured itself of a spot in Warrior immortality by win– ning the MACJC state championship last weekend at Scooba. The Warriors breezed through the four-team double-elimination tourna– ment without a loss. After opening with a 13-6 win over host and North Division champion East Mississippi on Friday night, the Warriors came back from early deficits to thump perennial MACJC power Gulf Coast 9-7 on Saturday and 15-8 on Sunday lo claim EC's first baseball state championship in school history. Amazingly enough, the champi– Jnship came in a year where the War– riors were probably considered no bet– :;er than the No. 6 team in the seven– •eam South Division going into the season. "If you'd asked if I thought we'd be in t h e state tournament when we started practicing back in September, I'd have said no," EC 11th-year head coach Jamie Clark said. "But some– where early in the season everything fell m place.

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