2002

I I ECCC-EMCC to meet in state tourney open

By Marty Stamper EMG sports assistant Neighbors East Central Community College and East Mississippi Community Col– lege will square off in opening– round action in the MACJC State/Region 23 Division II Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament Friday at Westside City Park in Booneville. First pitch is sched– uled for G p.m. 'The eight-team double-elim– mation tournament runs through Sunday. The winner goes to the NJCAA Division II National Championship in Phoenix, Ariz. East Mississippi's Lady Lions finished second in the MACJC North Division behind tournament host Northeast Mississippi. 22-10. The Lady Lions bring an 18-18 record into the tournament. "We'll have to play better than we have our iast six games lo do much of ~nything-," Lady Lions coaeh Pam Moore said. Top hillers for East Missis– l'llppi are .kssint Vaughn (.!)2R), 1\ayla Murphy (.4H9), lknilla Quinn (.'15!)). ~111d Conslanct' Logan (.4:1:1) . TIH•y bat Nos. I th'nmgh 4 in 1\ilo(Jn:'s lineup. Kati Fl<'llling hand It's Iht· pitching chores. , East Central finislwcl its regular season with a 21-J:i mark after startinl{ out 1.1-1. , "That was a goal of \JUl'S when we starlt'd the !'lea~on,'' Lady Warriors coach Mike Atiderson said of making the stale tournament. "We've accomplished that. We set a school record for wins with 21 ancl that was also a goal.

"We have not played as well the last two weeks as we would have liked to going into the tournament, but everybody starts off fresh Friday. It's a brand new season." ECCC swept the Lady Lions 5-4 and 4-2 on Feb. 19 at Decatur. "Itwas two close games and I didn't have four of my players who played basketball," Moore said. "They've certainly gotten better," Anderson said. "Coach Moore's teams always get better as the year progresses. I expect them to be considerably better than they were in Feb– ruary when we played them." Leading ECCC are sopho– mores Emily Casey and Sommer Averett Casey is 14-6 on the mound with a 2.67 ERA. She's also batting .301 with 12 doubles and 16 RBis. Averett is balling .444 with 12 doubles and 14 RBis. A catcher, Averett has thrown out 75 percent of the runners attempting to steal !'lccond basf'. Other first-round games hav(' South Division top seed (;u)f Coast, 24-8, playing either ltawamba or Mississippi Delta and North Division No. 1 seed Norllwasl. fal'ing Ilinds in U1e 4 p.m. cout<'sls. Th<' olh<'r 6 p.m. makllttp has South No.2 Pearl livision 11 cham pion. The Lady Bulldogs ,ar( ranked No. 7 in the May I NJCAA Division II poll. ··

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t>HOTO BY PAULA MERRm I THE MERIDIAN STAR

WATCH OUT! ECCC's BErnice Hannah forces out Jones' Lindsey Sanders In racent JUCO softball action.

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