Decatur, MS-The No. 2 East Central Community College Warriors staged a valiant comeback but ultimately fell 10-8 to Northeast Mississippi Community College in the night game of a three-team round-robin on Tuesday.
Tough Start for the Warriors
The game got off to a rough start for East Central as Northeast Mississippi capitalized on early opportunities. The Tigers broke through in the second inning with a two-run home run by Drake Douglas, putting them up 2-0. The damage continued in the third when Carter Wells ripped a two-run double, followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Trae Cagle. A wild pitch and an infield error added two more runs, ballooning the Tigers' lead to 7-0.
The Tigers tacked on two more runs in the fourth, with Douglas doubling in another RBI, making it a daunting 9-0 deficit for the Warriors.
Warriors Rally with Five-Run Fourth Inning
East Central refused to go down quietly, exploding for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to get back in the game. Chris Billingsley Jr. put the Warriors on the board with an RBI single. The big inning blow came from Langston Cotten, who launched a three-run home run, electrifying the home crowd and cutting the deficit to 9-4. Nic Arender followed with an RBI double, pulling the Warriors within 9-5.
Closing the Gap in the Fifth
The momentum carried into the fifth inning as Billingsley Jr. added a sacrifice fly, scoring Barrett Rodgers to make it 9-6. Later in the inning, Cotten drew a bases-loaded walk, forcing another run and trimming the lead to 9-7.
Late Inning Tension
Northeast Mississippi added an insurance run in the eighth, scoring on a wild pitch, extending the lead to 10-7. East Central responded in the bottom half of the inning when John Lewis doubled, and a defensive miscue allowed Nic Arender to score, cutting the margin to 10-8.
Despite getting the tying run to the plate in the ninth, the Warriors couldn't complete the comeback as Northeast Mississippi's bullpen shut the door.
Pitching Woes Cost Warriors
East Central's pitching staff struggled to contain the Tigers' offense, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits while issuing seven walks. Trae Winn (0-1) took the loss, surrendering two runs in 1.1 innings. The Warriors' bullpen provided some stability late, with Creed Fulton and Andrew Nielsen combining for 2.2 scoreless innings.
Looking Ahead
With the loss, East Central splits their two games in the round-robin. Despite the defeat, the Warriors showed resilience, battling back from a 9-0 deficit to nearly pull off a stunning comeback. They will look to bounce back in their next contest this weekend, part of the 2025 Ochsner Invitational, as the Warriors will face No. 7 Kirkwood and Wallace State-Hanceville on Saturday from Clark/Gay stadium.