2010

ECCC Diamond Warriors Eliminated By LSU-Eunice in Region 23 Tourney

A second win over Louisiana State University– Eunice m the Region 23 Tourna– ment was not to be for the East Central ConununityCollegeDia– mondWarriors who fell 12-4Sat– urday night to the eventual tour– nament champions in the rain– delayed event held at :Joe G. Moss Field on the Hinds Com– muntty College campus in Raymond. East Central, which firushed 39-19 under fourth-year head coachNeal Holliman, had taken a 1-0, first-inning lead but the Bengals responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame, added three more runs in the second inning and held the 6- 1 advantage through three in– nings EC added another run in the fourth tnning and two in the sixth and trailed 7-4 after five. The Bengals tallied four runs in the s1xth and another run in the seven, when the contest was called due to the eight-run rule. Qutn Stokes and Charles Hill, both of Carthage, each had a double and single to lead the ECoffense.DonnieTabb. ofNeshobaCentral, Andre Yates of Grenada, Richie Long of Carthage, and Vincent Kortbawi, a product ofHale County High School in Moundville,Ala., had singles each. Kortbawi, Stokes and Ernie Triplett ofLouisvi lie were credited w1th an RBI each. Gabriel Thibodeaux and Zach K1rksey homered to lead LSU-Euruce. StarterTyler Daltonof Winston Academy was among five hurlers for EC and took the loss. The right-hander allowed one earned run on two hits dur-

Yates' sacrifice fl} in the sev– enth, but the Eagles snapped the deadlock in the eighth U'UUJig on Grant Moms's two-run triple and added tv.o more runs in the frame and held on for the"" m. Rtght-hander Allen JohnsbnofLeakeAcadem) • the loss m rehef. Johnson hurled 7 1/3 innings, ailo\.\1og four earned runs on nine luis.He also fanned four batters and walled three. East Central began tournament actionThursda} by outscoringLSU-Eunice 14-10. Donnie Tabb and Vincent KortbaWI had three htt:s each to lead the offense and southpawColton Mitchell shut down the LSU-Euruce offen~e over the final three innmgs to clinch the victory. Tabb, a centerfielde• and Neshoba Central produ~:t. went three-for-six at the plate with a double and two smgles. He also had tv.'O RBis andscored twice. Third- ba seman Kortbawi, a product of Hale County High Schoo tn Moundville, Ala, collected three singles, knocked in a run and also scored. Also having produc– tive performances at the plate were Andre Yates ofGrenada. and Quin Stokes and Charles Hill, both of Canhage, two singles each. Rtch1e Long of Carthage, Blake Lav.~on of Biloxi and Errue Tnplett ofLou– isville had smgleseach. Long was also the top run producer With three RBls. Right-hander Barry Meeks was the starter and al– lowed three earned runs on nine hits through 3 1/3 innings. He fanned two batters and walked two. Meeks is a product of Pa– tricianAcademy in Sweetwater, fmal 5 2/3 innings in relief, al- lowing just three hits and no earned runs. He also fanned four batters and walked five. LSU-Eunil.le defeated Hinds twice Sunday to win the tournament and a berth in the NJCAADivision II World Se– ries in Enid, Oklahoma.

APPEARE ing 113 inrung.

The ECILSU-Eunice CARTHAC match-upwas set up by theDia– mond Warnors' 12-8 loss to NEWTON HindsearlierSaturday. After the Eagles had SPIRIT 0 taken an early 4-0 lead, EastCen- MERIDIA tral rallie~ to. take a 6-5 advan–

NESHOBADEMOCRAT _______ SCOTT COUNTY TIMES _______ Ala. Mitchell (8-4) hurled the NSTON COUNTY JOURNAL ___

CLARION-LEDGER-------

tage on R1ch1e Long's two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth. But Hinds regained the lead at 8-6 on Nick Schneeberger's three-run blast in the sixth. The DiamondWarriors tied the contest at 8-8 on Andre