FULTON, Miss. – ICC saw East Central rally for two runs in the seventh inning of game two to earn a split with the Indians in conference play on Saturday.
Game 1: No. 18 Indians 5, East Central 2
The Indians (24-11, 11-7 MACCC) scored five runs in the first inning and held off a late-game rally from the Warriors (22-19, 7-11 MACCC) to pick up a 5-2 win in the opening game of the day.
Sammie Day-Jones (Ragland, Ala.) walked and scored on a two-out double by Rylie Tyree (Sardis). Rayne Rippee (Trussville, Ala.) followed with a single before Hanna Grace Gillean (Mantachie) drove in Tyree with a single. Rippee and Gillean both scored on when Haylee Alberson (Hernando) blasted a three-run home run to left to put the Indians up 5-0.
Emily Robinson (Springville, Ala.) kept the Warriors' bats quiet after collecting four-straight three up, three down innings.
East Central got took advantage of an error to plate a pair of runs in the sixth, but Robinson got another three up, three down inning in the seventh to close the door on the rally.
Robinson (12-4) gave up two runs, one earned, on three hits and two errors while scattering two walks and striking out six in the complete game victory.
Game 2: East Central 7, No. 18 Itawamba 6
The Indians rallied to take a 6-5 lead in the fifth, but the Warriors rallied with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to earn the split after picking up the 7-6 win.
Gillean continued to swing a hot bat as she put the Indians up 1-0 with a solo home run in the second inning.
The Warriors answered five runs on four hits, a walk, and hit by pitch in the third.
ICC finally got the bats going again in the home half of the fifth. Bailey Ware (Batesville) started the inning off with a walk and scored on a one out single by Emma Rose Thompson (Hatley). Thompson advanced to second on the throw home and scored on a single by Day-Jones. Day-Jones also advanced to second on the throw and scored on a single by Jessi Smith (Senatobia). Tyree connected on the fourth-straight single for the Indians before Gillean delivered a two-out single to plate Smith and Tyree and give the Indians the 6-5 advantage.
East Central pulled even on a single in the top of the seventh but the throw to third got away and went into the dugout allowing the go ahead run to score.
The Indians bats betrayed them in the seventh as they went three up, three down in the inning to allow the Warriors to pick up the win.
Gillean went 4-for-6 with three singles, a home run, and four RBI on the afternoon.
UP NEXT: The Indians will be back in action when they travel to Mississippi Delta on Tuesday.
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