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l\.leridian-LSU-Eunice winner. ECCC had 3-2 and 5-3 wins over Gulf Coast in the state tournament, along with an 11-10 victory over Meridian. In the only final score that wasn't close, the Warriors tal– lied nine runs in the eighth inning of a 9-3 victory over MCC. The inability to throw strikes kept the Warriors from giving \Jorthwest much competition on ~tonday. Three ECCC hurlers com– bmed to issue seven free passes and all seven wound up crossing the plate. \ .,I didn't coach very gootl and we lost the game," was ECCC head coach Neal Holliman's appraisal of the situation. "That's about it" Northwest took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Michael See ECCC Page 83

PHOTO BY PAULA MtRRITT / TliE UERJO

HEADY STUFF Northwest Community College s S :ai'l Johnson s sa'e at ;.h ·d base as the ball bounces off his helmet aga nst ECCC s Jacob Thames.

ECCC

Northwest. took the lead for good on· a three-run homer by Cregar in the top of the third. ECCC starter Joe Patterson issued back-to-hack walks to Charlie Edwards and Taylor Walker prior to Cregar's blast to right field. It was Cregar's eighth The Warriors got one run back in the bottom of the third as Terrell Hendrix beat out an infield single, then took second when Walker's throw from shortstop went into the Ranger dugout. Hendrix stole third and scored on a sacrifice bunt by Colby Hawthorne to cut the Ranger lead to 4-2. The Rangers put the game away with six runs off just two hits in the top of the sixth. Patterson retired the first homer of the year.

two batters before giving way to Josh Denson. After Sean Johnson beat out an infield hit, Denson proceeded to walk the next four batters to put Northwest up 6-0. Jesus Aleman issued the fifth straight walk and was called for a balk on the next batter to up Northwest's lead to 8-2. A two-run single by Rick Russell extend~d the Rangers' lead to 10-2. Hendrix had a single and stretched a single into a double in the fifth to lt>ad the Warrior offense. Griffin, Jones, George Washington, and Chad Gosselin each had one single. Hendrix also had the game's defensive gem when he robbed Cre.gar of a hit with a sliding catch in right– center in the fifth. Chase Ware (7-1) went the distance, tossing a six-hitter with four walks and four strikeouts, to get the win for Northwest.

Patterson took the loss for EC. He allowed four runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked two. Rus~en and Johnson both had two singles for the Rangers. who entered the tournament with a sizzling .364 team batting average. "We've been a great club all year," said Northwest head coach Mark Carson. "I thought coming into the (region) tournament there was a Jack of respect for us. 1'\ot anything anybody did personal, but we didn't play real well in the state tourna– ment last week. "Last weekend, our pitching just let us down and we didn't play like we're capable of playing. "They helped us a lot today. They almost traded places with us from last week. They didn't throw the ball over the plate, which opened the door for us. Last week, we did the same thing "

From Page 81

Ro " led off ~ith a bunt ' single, tole second. and 'cored on a ground out by Chad Cregar. The Warriors drew ~ven in the bottom of the second a,; Adam Griffm led off with a ~ingle. :-,tole second, and • scored on a single by Brian }one.... ]one~ then stole second and third, but was thrown out · at the plate by Northwest left fielder Kory Petri when the throw on Jones' steal of third went into the outfield.

APPEAR~D !N:

CA.RTHAG I ~!AN _ _ _ SCOTT COUNTY T!W.ES

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