ECCC, MCC combine for 46 runs in contest

By Robby Atkinson / Special to The Star The Meridian Star


MERIDIAN — There was no question that the busiest person on Wednesday night in the world of sports might have been the scoreboard operator at East Central Community College. At the end its baseball game in Decatur against Meridian Community College Wednesday night there was no doubt that the offense was on display. The Eagles are Warriors combined for 43 hits and 46 runs as MCC would walk with a wild 25-21 victory over East Central in local junior college baseball action.

The two teams also combined for 10 home runs in the game and three players had at least two home runs in the crazy game in Decatur.

"There was no doubt that both teams had great nights at the plate," said MCC head coach Chris Rose. "We needed a good win going into such a key Miss-Lou Conference series this weekend."

MCC (27-16) will open a three game series with Baton Rouge Community College this weekend with the Miss-Lou Conference Championship on the line. The Eagles can win the regular season championship with a sweep of the Bears this weekend. The series begins with a doubleheader on Saturday at 2 p.m. and the series concludes with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m.

MCC started its offensive explosion in the top of the first inning with four runs to take a 4-0 lead over the Warriors. Jonathan Pace started the inning by reaching on a double down the line in left and crossed the plate moments later on a home run by Ben Kingsley to make the score 2-0 in favor of MCC.The Eagles added two more runs in the frame on another home run to make the score 4-0. Former Meridian High standout Kenny Roberts belted the long home run off the scoreboard in left center to give MCC the four run edge.

East Central responded with one run in the bottom of the first inning to cut the MCC lead to 4-1. Vincent Kortbawi drove in the lone run of the first inning for the Warriors on an RBI single. Meridian extended its lead in a huge way with 10 runs in the top of the second inning to make the score 14-1. The Eagles sent 14 batters to the plate in the second inning and collected nine hits in the frame. The inning was highlighted by three run home run by Michael LeGrange and Darren Farmer also added a two run double in the second inning. Corey Dickerson also added a two run home run in the ten run inning for MCC.

MCC continued to extend its lead in the top of the third inning with two more runs to make the score 16-1. Roberts drove both runs in for the Eagles with his second home run of the game to give MCC a comfortable lead. East Central would try to make a comeback in the bottom of the third inning by chipping into the Meridian lead with four runs to make the score 16-5. Quin Stokes drove a pair of runs in for ECCC with a home run and Blake Lawson added a two run single in the four run third inning for the Warriors.

"Our main goal coming into tonight was to get better," said East Central head coach Neal Holliman. "We have not been playing very well as of late and I think we got better tonight and our games this weekend have so much riding on them."

East Central (33-13) will travel to Jackson this weekend to battle Jones in a key MACJC doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. The Warriors trail the Bobcats by one game in the South Division and the winner of the division will host the regional tournament next month.

East Central would continue to slowly creep back into the game with three runs in the fourth inning to cut the Meridian lead to 16-8. Stokes blasted his second home run of the game in the fourth inning which drove in a pair of runs and the third run of the inning scored on an RBI groundout by Lawson.

MCC would put another run on a very busy scoreboard with a solo home run by Farmer in the fifth inning to move the score to 17-8. East Central also added one run in the fifth inning to respond and make the score 17-9. Stokes continued to lead the way for the Warriors and drove in the run on an RBI single.

The Eagles scored one run in the sixth inning and Farmer once again provided the offense for MCC with an RBI single to make the score 18-9, but ECCC came right back with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to build the score to 18-12 in favor of MCC. Two runs scored in the inning on a throwing error by MCC and the third run scored on an RBI single by Donnie Tabb.

MCC tried to distance themselves from East Central in the top of thru seventh inning with two runs to make the score 20-12. Kenny Sanders had an RBI single in the inning and Pace drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

The Warriors scratched for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make the score 20-14. One run scored on a single by Richie Long and the second run scored on an error to bring ECCC to within seven runs of the Eagles. MCC poured on more offense in the eighth inning with five runs to push the score back to double digits at 25-14. LeGrange added his second homer of the game that drove in a pair of runs in the inning and Hunter Trawick had a two run single in the eighth.

The Warriors scored six runs in the eighth and one run in the ninth, but would come up short as MCC took the wild 25-21 win. Long added a three run homer in the eighth inning for ECCC and Long also had an RBI single in the ninth inning for East Central.