No. 6 Gulf Coast splits at ECCC

No. 6 Mississippi Gulf Coast had to settle for a split Wednesday at East Central when a late deflected infield single pushed across the winning run for the Lady Warriors in Decatur.

Katie Beth Williams (So., Smithville/Smithville) went 2-for-2 with two doubles and three RBI in the first game, which Gulf Coast won 6-4. The Lady Bulldogs lost the second 4-3 despite a homer and a double by Mya Hopson (So., Madison Central/Madison).

Gulf Coast is now 17-9 overall, 9-3 in MACJC play. East Central is 14-10, 7-5.

Williams doubled in the first run of the day, then scored on a two-run single by Shelby Archer (Fr., Pearl River Central/Picayune) to make it 3-0 in the second inning. She had a sacrifice fly in the third, and another RBI double in the fifth to make it 6-0.

Betty Mingo (So., Choctaw Central/Philadelphia) also had an RBI single.

East Central hit a pair of two-run homers in the fifth, but Bryley Rodriguez (Fr., Beau Chene/Cankton, La.) saved the Kristen Cade (Fr., Harrison Central/Saucier) by pitching a shutout 2.2 innings.

Hopson hit a solo home run in the first inning of Game 2, but East Central pushed across three in the fourth.

Hopson doubled in a run in the sixth, then scored on a single by Briana Shores (Fr., Richland/Richland) to make it 3-3.

East Central put the first two runners on in the sixth, but Rodriguez entered and got a weak liner to start a double play. After a walk, the next batter hit a hot shot up the middle that bounced off Rodriguez and let the runner score from second.

Gulf Coast hits the road again Saturday for a trip to Mississippi Delta. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Moorhead.

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