2016 Combined

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The East Central baseball team advances to MACJC State Tournament Action

Updated: Sat 10:30 PM, May 07, 2016

By: ECCC Media Relations

--The No. 15 East Central Community College baseball team swept Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges best-of-three playoff series Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7, in the Clark/Gay Baseball Complex to advance to next weekend's state tournament. Bats were hot in Decatur with both teams combining for 20 runs on 30 hits in the ECCC 11-9 game one victory, but also 48 runs on 44 hits in the high scoring 27-21 win for the Diamond Warriors.

Both games features East Central jumping off to big leads early in with huge Gulf Coast comebacks.

Despite four errors in game one East Central managed to hold off the Bulldogs.

ECCC increased its lead with seven runs in the third on an RBI double by Cole Prestegard of Huntsville (Ala.) High School, followed up by Billy Cameron's of Mendenhall High School two-run RBI single.

Gulf Coast faced a 9-0 deficit after three innings, but the Bulldogs rally fell short against ECCC.

Nathan Roseberry of Purvis High School, Cameron, and Dylan Snypes of Wayne County High School racked up 2 RBI each. Sophomore Peyton Cain of Newton County High School picked up the win after striking out three and allowing four runs in five two-third innings of work on the mound. Channing Wall of Louisville High School was charged with the save with seven outs in two one-third innings. Despite Gulf Coast taking the early lead scoring one in the top of the first of game two, East Central responded with six runs of its own in the first on a solo home run by Snypes, an RBI double by Prestegard, a two-run single by Cameron, and a two-run single by Roseberry. ECCC extended its lead with nine more runs in the second on two singles, Will Kennedy's of Union High School solo-home run, stolen bases and Brandon Clark of Neshoba Central High School deared the bases with a three-run RBI triple. Gulf Coast did not allow its 15-1 deficit slow them down as the Bulldogs regained the lead in the top of the sixth causing the Diamond Warriors to face a 19-17 deficit.

The Bulldog's rally once again was not enough to take the game.

East Central went up for good in the seventh scoring two runs on two singles then adding five more in the eighth.

Wall, one of six pitchers in the relief, struck out Gulf Coast's Brycen Burge for the put out and the ball game.

Nine East Central hitters combined for 24 hits, 26 RBis and 24 runs scored.

Davis racked up five RBI on four hits to lead the Warrior offense. Roseberry, Cameron and T.J. Lockett of Bibb County APPEAfi (Ala.) High School had four RBI each. CARTtU East Central moves into the state tournament 33-15 overall, while Gulf Coast finishes its season 25-21. NEWTOI Jones County Junior College will host the MACJC baseball state tournament May 12-14 in Ellisville. The rest of the teams and brackets will be determined after all weekend games are completed. SPIRITC MERIDIAN STAR -------- -.-.-... --"'··I ' JUUJlNAL --- CLARION-LEDGER -------