2005

ECCC makes clean sweep of Lady Eagles

Cavenaugh brought them home with a double down the third-base line to tie the game at 6. Kristin Chaney brought home Cavenaugh two batters latter for a one-run lead, and Abby Miller brought Chaney home with an RBI single for an 8-6 advantage. ECCC scored its final two runs of the gam(" off a dropped fly ball by Shalonda Mitchell in right field with two outs. "The difference between us and ECCC right now is. first of all. they have a heart and second. they arc a good ballclub.'' said Lady Eagles coach Robert Eakins, whose team fell to 11-22 overall and 8-4 in the Central Division. "When you have heart and deter– mination, you are never out of a ball game. We are working on that with this team, developing some character." ECCC"s sweep put the Lady Warriors in the Cen– tral Divison's driver's c;eat. as the team improved to 23-3 and 10-0 in league play. The Lady Warriors hold a four-game lead for first place and the rightto host the Region XXIII tournament over the Lady Eagles.

By Tony Krausz sports editor

\;farley Smith had enough left in her right arm to seal a doubleheader sweep for East Central Com– munity College on Wednesday. The Lady Warriors pitcher, who picked up a com– ---~-- .. plete-game win in the opener,

recorded the second game's final three outs to seal a 10-7 win for ECCC at Northeast Park. lL was her second save of the season. "{Smith) came in and had a lot of composure," said Lady Warriors

...._______, coach Scott Hill, whose team won the first game 4-1. "She had runners on first and third (base). and she made some really good pitches at a crucial time for us.'' Prior to Smith's reentry into the doubleheader in the seventh inning of the final game, ECCC tore through MCC's 6-4 lead in the top of half o( the last frame. The Lady Warriors' Erica Hardin and Kotreece Bender each drew walks to start the inning, and joy

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the Lady Warriors' fi nal run of the second. MCC's Katie Bar– nett scored her team·s only run in the bottom ofthe second, but ECCC scored the game's final run in the top of the fifth off an error by Kirby Shelby. MCC can still clinch a playoff spot with a sweep of East Mississippi Community College on Saturday. The Lady Eagles, who swept the Lady Lions earlier this year, travel to Scooba for a noon double– header. "The two (games) Saturday will be the most important," Eakins said.

the game.

the lead scoring two runs on an error by Wright in the third inning. and Dominique 1\lapp hit a one-run single in the fourth to give ECCC a 4-2 advantage. MCC's 'IJikki McClaskey cut into FCCC'.., lead with an RBI singlt• in the bottom of the fourth. and Ashley Rowley delivered a three-run home run in the fourth to give the Lady Eagles a 6-3 lead. After giving up six runs on three hits and an error in the top of the seventh. !\ICC pro– duced une run on an <•rror by Cavenaugh for the final run of

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ECCC MCC

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"We still have plenty of divi– sion ball games left," said Hill, whose team faces Hinds on Sat– urday. "We have to play Hinds and East Mississippi. and we know there are no gimees at all in this division."' ECCC took a 1-0 lead in the top of second inning on an RBI single from Hardin, but MCC responded with a two run double from Brandi Wright in the bottom of the second for a 2- llead. The Lady Warriors retook

1 Smith kept MCC's offense at bay for most of the first game, srath•ring eight hits and striking out five Lady Eagles. The first-game win was Smith "s 11th of the season. ECCC took a 3-0 lead that it never relinquished in the top of the second inning. Mapp and Jennifer Smith opened the inning with back-to-back sin– gles, and they both later scored. Lauren Wfi'ite. who reached on a triple to right field, tallied