No. 25 MGCCC pushes No. 3 ECCC to 10 innings

No. 25 Mississippi Gulf Coast lost a heartbreaker to No. 3 East Central on Tuesday at Wesson, then couldn't rebound against host Copiah-Lincoln.

The Bulldogs lost 4-3 in 10 innings to the Warriors in a game scheduled for seven innings. The Wolves won the last game of the MACCC tripleheader 10-3 with a late offensive outburst.

Garrett Gardner (Fr., Madison/Madison-Ridgeland Academy) hit a second-inning homer to tie the game at 1 against ECCC. After the Warriors went ahead 3-1 in the fourth, the Bulldogs scored a run in the fifth on a wild pitch and tied it in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Tanner (Fr., Hurley/East Central).

James Vines (So., Clinton, La./Silliman Institute) scattered seven hits in six innings, allowing three runs before handing it off to Wade Barr (So., Collins/Seminary). Barr was sensational, posting three scoreless innings before East Central took advantage of a misplayed double-play attempt and a lapse of concentration.

The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out in the eighth and couldn't get the go-ahead run across and stranded two in the 10^th.

Gardner went 3-for-4.

The Bulldogs led Co-Lin 2-1 after Brady Saxton (Fr., Brandon/Northwest Rankin) hit an RBI single in the fourth. The Wolves scored six in the fifth and three more in the sixth to run away.

Gulf Coast (15-5) managed only three hits. East Central, which beat Co-Lin 4-3 to start the day, is 18-3, and the Wolves are 13-7.

The Bulldogs travel to Delgado on Sunday for a final pre-conference tuneup. First pitch in New Orleans is at 1 p.m.

For more information on MGCCC's 12 intercollegiate athletic teams, follow @MGCCCBulldogs on Twitter and MGCCCBulldogs on Facebook, and go to mgcccbulldogs.com.