The East Central Community College Lady Warriors experienced a tough loss against the Mississippi Gulf Coast Lady Bulldogs in game one of the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament. The game took place in Ellisville, on the campus of Jones College, and ended with a final score of 6-4, with Gulf Coast earning the win thanks to a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning.

East Central got off to a promising start when Emmi Harkins reached base on an error, scoring Catherine Stroud in the top of the first inning. The lead was short-lived, as Gulf Coast tied the game in the bottom of the third. However, Harkins once again put the Warriors in front with a solo home run to lead off the top of the fourth inning, making the game 2-1.

The score remained unchanged until the bottom of the fifth when an RBI double tied the game once again at 2-2. In extra innings, Taylor Pittman gave the Lady Warriors the lead with a single to center field, making it 3-2. Shante Beaulieu later scored on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 4-2 in the eighth.

However, Gulf Coast made a comeback in the bottom of the eighth with a leadoff solo home run, followed by a sacrifice fly and a two-run home run to win the game 6-4.

Harkins and Lauren Dunbar had two hits each for the Lady Warriors, while Pittman and Harkins drove in all the runs, with Harkins hitting a home run and a double. Rae Rae Evans got the start in the circle for East Central, pitching seven and one-third innings and giving up four runs on seven hits with three strikeouts. Caroline Jackson threw one-third of an inning out of the bullpen.

Unfortunately, the Lady Warriors will face elimination in the loser's bracket on Thursday, May 11, at 11 a.m.