East Central baseball repeats by winning third straight Game 3 in MHSAA 5A championship
PEARL — East Central has been dominant in Game 3s all postseason long. Game 3 of the MHSAA Class 5A state baseball championship at Trustmark Park on Saturday was no different. The Hornets cruised to a 11-0 victory in five innings over Saltillo in the third consecutive playoff series to reach a winner-take-all game.
East Central has won back-to-back titles and has four in program history.
"Coming off a Game 2 loss you just can't take us to a Game 3," senior Logan Terry said. "We're 3-0 in Game 3s. We just don't lose.
"Just being so anxious to play today coming off a loss in Game 2. Don't take us to a game three."
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Terry went 1-of-3 with a double and a RBI to help lead the Hornets to the run-rule victory. Senior Andrew Marble's two-run double to left field gave East Central an 11-0 lead in the third inningr.
The Tigers (28-10) escaped with a 2-1 victory late Friday night to force Game 3 less than 24 hours later. However, the Hornets continued to dominate on the mound. Brason Owenby had a one-hit shutout and four walks. The senior was able to keep the Saltillo off the board without any strikeouts.
The joy for coach Michael Long was being able to put all seven seniors on the field for the final out of the game. The senior class delivered the program its first title since 2008 and won 56 games in the past two seasons.
"Bless that the last out of the season was here at Trustmark Park to win a state championship with all seven of them on the field," Long said. "Usually you can't do that as a coach. I'm literally getting chills thinking about how much I love and appreciate that group of seniors.
"That's special."
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East Central (28-11) won 16 of its final 19 games. The Hornets only lost consecutive games three times in the last two years.
"When we lose the intensity builds up in us and the fight," senior T.J. Dunsford said. "We wished we could have turned around and right then (last night) and played."
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: East Central baseball beats Saltillo, repeats in MHSAA 5A championship
