MCC softball swept at ECCC

By Marty Stamper
The Meridian Star

DECATUR — Both East Central Community College and Meridian Community College entered Wednesday afternoon’s doubleheader chasing Hinds Community College in the MACJC Central Division fastpitch standings.

It would be the host Lady Warriors that pulled evened with Hinds with an 11-10, 11-3 sweep of MCC.

Both three-time defending Central Division champion ECCC and Hinds are 6-2 in the league. MCC fell to 4-4. East Mississippi Community College entered the day at 2-4, while Holmes Community College was 0-6.

Meridian appeared to be in control of the opener as the Lady Eagles hammered 14 hits and took a 10-5 lead over the first four innings.

MCC managed just one more hit over the final three frames, but still carried a 10-6 lead into the bottom of the seventh after ECCC left the bases loaded in the sixth.

The seventh inning would be a nightmare for MCC. Sondreia Hillie led off with a triple to right field and scored when Shenique Brass homered to center field to trim MCC’s lead to 10-8.

The comeback continued when MCC starting pitcher Gabby Morgan was relieved following a walk to Whitnee White. Reliever Shanese Hunter walked the first two batters she faced to load the bases with no outs.

Lindsey Stevens made it 10-9 with a sacrifice fly and Kristen Pillsbury reloaded the bases when she beat out an infield hit when no one covered first base.

A walk to Amy Sharp tied the game and Hailey Chipley scored the winning run on a fly ball to shallow center field by Emily Thrash.

The Lady Warriors played long ball in the win as White had a three-run homer in the third inning and Stevens hit a solo shot in the fourth. Hillie went 3-for-4 with a triple and scored three runs. Brass also had a double and had three RBI.

Erin Breland (3-3) got the win with four innings of relief of ECCC starter Codee Russell.

“We were kind of shellshocked because Meridian came out hitting gappers,” ECCC coach Scott Hill said. “They were hitting the ball hard. It didn’t matter what we threw up there, they tattooed it to right-center or left-center.

“We probably could have made a couple plays to snuff it out every now and then, but hats off to them for hitting it.

“We showed a little patience in that last inning and I’m proud we hung in there and showed a little character.

“It’s nice to be tied with Hinds one time through the division.”

MCC indeed came out hot at the plate with Morgan getting three hits and three RBI in her first three at-bats. Natalie Parker also had three hits in the first four innings to drive in a pair of runs. Whitney Drachenberg had a pair of doubles in her first two at-bats as MCC led by as much as 10-4.

Brooklyn Williams finished with two hits, including a double, while Constance Jones had a two-run double and De’Miracle Biggs had two singles for the Lady Eagles.

“As a coaching staff, it’s a tough loss, but as a team, when you don’t stay focused — and that’s what we’ve been on this group about all year — we’re not paying attention,” MCC coach Robert Eakins said. “It was a tough loss because we had one that we could have sneaked out on the road, but we’ve been on them all year about being disciplined and staying focused and that’s something they don’t do.

“I’ll take the blame for that, that’s just today’s society, they just don’t focus enough.

“I have to give credit to East Central too. They will not give up. That’s been a trademark of his teams.”

In the second game, the Lady Warriors jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning with Brass getting an RBI double and Chipley adding an RBI single.

MCC also committed three errors in the frame.

A pair of baserunning blunders cost the Lady Eagles their first two outs on one play in the top of the first inning.

MCC closed to within 5-3 with three runs in the top of the third. Chassidy Roberts ripped an RBI triple to left field and Drachenberg plated a pair of runs with a bases-loaded single. ECCC extended its lead to 7-3 with single runs in the third and fourth frames, then completed the run-rule win with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. A two-run double by Laura Smith ended the game as ECCC improved to 16-12 overall.

ECCC had only eight hits with White, Smith, and Chipley each getting two.

White drove in three runs.

“We looked like we were being patient and waiting for our pitch,” Hill said of the second game win. “We weren’t overly aggressive, but we were aggressive. We ran the bases real well and made some big defense plays. Our center fielder (Hillie) made some good plays in the first game that I think may have kept them from running in the second game.

“We played pretty well all the way around in the second game.”

Amber Smith (6-3) got the win.

MCC, 10-22, had eight hits with Biggs going 3-for-3. Roberts and Drachenberg were both 2-for-3.

Hunter took the loss.