By By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
April 14, 4001
POPLARVILLE East Central dropped a pair of one-run South Division games at Pearl River Friday afternoon. Pearl River won 8-7 in the opener and 6-5 in the second game.
In the first game, the Wildcats scored twice in the first and second innings and three times in the third to grab an early 7-2 lead.
ECCC bounced back with two runs in the fourth, one in the fifth on an RBI-double by Monte Migliacio, and two in the top of seventh on a two-run double by Shawn Soulier to draw even at 7-7.
Eric Adkins led off the bottom of the seventh with a homer to give the Wildcats the win. He had hit a two-run homer in the third inning.
The Warriors outhit the Wildcats eight to five.
Mario Migliacio (2-2) took the loss with Chris Thompson (4-4) getting the win.
In the second game, Pearl River erased a 2-1 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third inning with Adkins hitting a two-run double.
ECCC got both of its runs in the top of the third on a double by Turk Stovall.
A sacrifice fly by Stovall pulled the Warriors to within 4-3 in the top of the fifth only to have Pearl River tally twice in its half of the inning. One run scored on a bases-loaded hit batsman, while the second came home on a wild pitch.
The Warriors scored twice in the top of the seventh on an RBI-double by Lewis Bradford and an RBI-single by Kent Chamblee.
Jason Wooten (2-2) took the loss with Matt Magee (3-2) getting the win.
Both teams had six hits.
ECCC fell to 14-20 overall and 6-12 in the South Division. Pearl River improved to 15-20 and 8-8.
ECCC returns to action Tuesday at 3 p.m. in a South Division doubleheader with Copiah-Lincoln at Decatur.
Marty Stamper is a sportswriter for The Meridian Star. E-mail himat mstamper@sports.themeridianstar.com.