ECCC Softball Gets Road Sweep Over Marion Military To Remain Undefeated

Behind a 13-run first inning, the No. 2 East Central Community College softball team rolled to a 19-2 victory over the Marion Military Institute Lady Tigers in the first game of a softball doubleheader Wednesday, Feb. 10, in Marion, Ala. The Lady Diamond Warriors completed the doubleheader sweep with a 10-0 win in game two to move to 6-0 on the season. Marion Military fell to 0-4.

Both games were called after five innings due to the 10-run rule. Sophomore left fielder Summer Lavender out of Canton Academy drove in four runs with a single and a triple in the big first inning of the opener. Sophomore shortstop Maegen Ellis out of Oak Hill Academy in West Point drove in two runs with a double, and sophomore second baseman Mahalia Gibson out of Oak Grove High School doubled in a run in the first.

East Central had 16 hits in the game one win. Lavender ended the game with three hits, as did sophomore right fielder Caitlyn Aldous of Petal High School. Gibson and freshman first baseman Courtney Moore out of Clinton High School each had two hits. Moore and sophomore center fielder Katlyn Duke of Neshoba Central High School each had two RBI.

Sophomore Lacey Hill, a product of Kilbourne High School (La.), pitched the first two innings of game one to get the win and move to 3-0 on the season. Freshman Brantlie Sheets out of Nanih Waiya High School pitched the final three in her first career action in the circle for the Lady Diamond Warriors.

In the second game, East Central scored in each of the first four innings to put the game away. Aldous had a triple and a single and drove in three runs to lead the Lady Diamond Warriors. Freshman Brittney McCray out of Sumrall High School had a single and a solo home run in game two.

Chloe Thaggard, a sophomore pitcher from Leake Academy, won game two in the circle to move to 3-0 on the season. She pitched one-hit ball over the first two innings before giving way to Gibson and freshman Sara Jackson out of Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Ala.

East Central returns home to face rival East Mississippi Community College in the annual “pink” Breast Cancer Awareness games Saturday, Feb. 13. The doubleheader action from the Softball Park on the ECCC campus in Decatur begins at 1 p.m.


The Lady Diamond Warriors will visit Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Tuesday, Feb. 16, for a doubleheader against Shelton State at 1 p.m., before playing in the Rush Invitational Feb. 19 in Meridian.