2015

WEEK OF \' \ , '--'

Gul f Coast knocks ECCC out East Central Commu– ton.

ECCC had already qualified for a berth in the 2015 NJCAA Division II Softball Championship Series by virtue of its 4-3 win over No. 1 LSU– Eunice on Thursday and a 1-0, extra-inning win over No . 2 Jones County on Friday in the Region 23 Tuurnament. ECCC, ranked 11th, was scheduled to open Division II play against 17th-ranked Macomb Community College of Michign on Wednesday in Clinton.Gulf Coast will be the other NJCAA Region 23 representative in Clin-

rifice bu nt by Maegen Ellis of Oak Hill Academy in West Point, a single by Mahalia Gibson of Oak Grove High School, a Gulf Coast error, and a ground ball fielder's choice by Caitlyn Aldous of Petal High School. ECCC plated another run in the bottom of the third on singles by Ellis and Gibson and a ground ball fielder's choice by Andi Hannaford of Mag– nolia Heights School in Senatobia. ECCC freshman pitch– er Lacey Hi11 didn't give up a hit until the bottom

nity College needed just one win in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 23 Tournament on Saturday, May 9, but the Lady Dia– mond Warriors were swept by Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 4-3 and 2-0. Gulf Coast is the 2015 Region 23 Champion, and ECCC is runner-up. The NJCAA Region 23 Tournament was played at Community Bank Park on the campus of Jones County Junior College in Ellhwille.

East Central is the fifth seed in the 16-team, dou ble-eli min a ti on. Macomb, out of the Michi– gan Community College Ath let ic Association, is the 12t h seed. ECCC and Gulf Coast are no strangers on the softball diamond, having now met eight times this season. The Lady Diamond

Warriors would strike first in game one with two runs in the top of the first inning on a single by Mal– lory Turner of West Laud– erdale High School, a sac- of Region 23

of the fou rth, when the Lady Bulldogs picked up three hits including a grand slam home run by Alyssa Hardy that gave Gulf Coast a 4-3 lead. The Lady Diamond Warriors threatened in the top of the seventh with a runner on second and only one out, but were unable to produce Hill, a product of Kil– bourne (La. ) High School, took the loss, giving up only three hits. ECCC had seven hits in game one The Lady BuHdogs the t),ng run.

would take an early 2-0 lead in the bot tom of the first inning, with four hits off of the usually domi– nant ECCC freshman pitcher Chloe Thaggard of Leake Academy. Gulf Coast made those two runs count a s they held on for the 2-0 win. Lady Bulldogs p itcher Paige Breal held ECCC to just one hit. Thaggard took the loss for East Central, giving up nine h its over six innings. ECCC was 42-11 prior to Wednesday's national tournament game.

APPEARED IN:

X

CARTHAGINIAN------ NEWTON COUNTY APPEAL SPIRIT OF MORTON ----- MERIDIAN STAR

RNAL ---