2002

Lady Warriors of East Central take two wins over from Jones

JUCO SOFTBALL it in game situations," JCJC coach Grant Crowder said. "We're just not playing as a team right now. That's basically il. We're a good team that is just not executing. I feel like we're going to win a Jot more ballgames, today just wasn't our day." Jones jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the opener as Demet– rice Jones led off with a bw1t single and scored when Courtney Harrington's sacri– fice bunt turned into a three– base error. Harrington then scored on a two-out single by Amanda Smith. Emily Casey (9-2) allowed only two more hits the rest of the way for the Lady Warriors. She finished with six strikeouts and two walks in the four-hitter. ECCC took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, turning five hits, a walk, and an error into six runs. Faith Wllitfil'lcl. Frances McDougk-, and Somnwr Avt'n·tt <·;1ch h11d au RBI singlt· in th(• inninB with l<·nny Battle • :uldiu~~ n two·•·ail• :-ingh· that s~avt~ lht· l..wlv '\\'w 1 imo., a :1-:! kiul

By Marty Stamper •1G ,ports assistant DH.AfLIR -Twice East Central Community College spotted the Jones Junior Col– lege1 Lady Bobcats a quick 2-0 lead in Tuesday's South Divi– sion dou blcheader. And twice the Lady Warriors rallied for wins, taking a 7-2, 5-2 sweep. ECCC improved to 8-4 in the MACK South Division and 17- 5 overalL Jones fell to 5-7 and 11-7. Gulf Coast and Pearl River entered the day atop the stand– ings with 7-3 league marks. "We're halfway tht ough (the dhision schedule) and we start over Saturday at Hinds," ECCC coach Mike Anderson said . "f'm pleased with us at the halfway point record-wise. I'm not pleased with the way we got there. I hope can get a little better. "We've got to get better. Our pitchers get the job done, we just 'don't get it done behind them dcfensivdy every inning.'' ECCC commillcd four errors in tlw double lwader. J otws had I0 boots, five of whidl canw in tiH' nnal thn•(• innings. "'l'hi~ is stuff we'v<· r<·ppt•cl and r<'!JlJH:d in prad in· and did

'Inc Lady Warrior~ added an insurance run in the fifth as Anna M«Hm~ singkd with pinch runm·r Krystal Moore nossing thl plate on a double to right– center by April Bufkin. Bufkin went 2 for-:~ in the opener. Ji.C(l outhit .Jonl's eight to four. Lind~ey Fre<~man (5-~) took the loss. The Lady Uobcats again took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning in the st'cond game as Harrington n·ad1ccl on an error and scored on Kim Bishop's doubl(•. Bishop was thrown out after taking a wide turn at SC('ond base. :v1andy Gibson followed with anotlwr double and scored on Smith's singlt•. Bufkin. who allowed four hiH-; in the top of the first. gave up only three more the rest of the game to improve to 8-3. The Lady Warriors got one run bat'k in the boll om of I he first as Cast'Y r(•achcd on a two– out throwing t•rror and Sl'ured wlwn Hull\ii1's ~-{round h.all 111 third hasc.:w:1t~ bwJII:d. I . -·t"h· f I' I ' ' I ~ l. .l.j ,N uu I' 11.1::; Ill l I( liotlolll of tlil' iilird 111 l:ddiiH II 1·:.! le·arl Hlwndn 1\lunn, '\h' •• u. 1 ,tnirl Ut·Cr n•;11:h~·d .oH IHlli P.lll(lii~H 1 to· tnn(l' tltr~ lwo;c M111 n nud Aw•r.-tt hlllh Iii lll'"d

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PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT / THE MERIDIAN STAF

WATCH OUT! Jones' Kim Bishop steals second against EC's Bernice Hannah.

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on wild pitches. After a single by Bufkin, Casey scored on an infiPid out by Whitfield. ]ones loaded the bases with two outs in both the sixth and H'Vt•nth frames, but Bufkin was able to l

lclllt~s outhil ECCC seven to six 111 tht• second ganw with Bishop gl'Uing a singk and a douhlt·. · I lolly Neal (6-:U look the los~ ,I nnes travels to Scooba Thut sday to play East Missis– sippi in a I p.m. doubleheader, whilt- ECCC's next action is Sat– HI day at Hinds in a twinbill stat't Ills.{ at 11 a.m.

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