Decatur, Miss. –The No. 2 East Central Community College Warriors flexed their offensive muscle with a four-home-run performance, defeating No. 12 Jones College 13-5 in game one of a three-team round-robin on Tuesday morning.

Early Momentum and Long Ball Domination

After a slow start, the Warriors broke the scoring seal in the third inning when Nic Arender drove in Ryan Nelson with a line-drive RBI single to center field. Jayden Adcox put on a show the following inning, blasting a solo home run to deep left field to extend the lead to 2-0.

Ryan Nelson kept the momentum going in the fifth inning, launching a towering solo home run to left, making it 3-0.

Jones College responded in the sixth, plating three runs on a Talan Theriot RBI double and a clutch two-run single from Brice Ainsworth, cutting the lead to 5-3. However, the Warriors wasted no time answering back.

Sixth-Inning Explosion

East Central erupted for a four-run bottom of the sixth with the game tightening. Pablo Roque led off with a double, followed by an RBI double from Brady McAbee to push the lead to 6-3. Langston Cotten added a run-scoring single, and an infield error by Jones College allowed two more runs to score, stretching the lead to 9-3.

Seventh and Eighth Innings: Adcox and Rodgers Go Deep

Adcox wasn't done yet. In the seventh, with Barrett Rodgers on base, Adcox crushed his second home run of the night, a two-run shot to center field, giving the Warriors an 11-3 advantage.

Jones attempted to rally in the eighth, taking advantage of an infield error to score two runs, but Rodgers quickly shut the door with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning. John Lewis followed with a two-run single, securing the 13-5 final score.

Strong Pitching Keeps Bobcats in Check

Chris Billingsley Jr. set the tone on the mound with 5.2 innings pitched, allowing just two runs while striking out five. The bullpen, anchored by Marbin Lezcano, held firm, limiting Jones College to just two runs over the final three frames while striking out four.