Rockets win ECCC tourney

By By Marty Stamper / EMG sports assistant
March 13, 2003
DECATUR Neshoba Central scored twice in the bottom of the seventh inning to nip Kosciusko 6-5 in the East Central Community College Spring Break Tournament Wednesday afternoon at Jamie Clark Memorial Stadium.
The win, along with an 8-6 victory over Ackerman earlier in the day, gave the Rockets the championship of the inaugural event.
Trailing 5-4 going into the bottom of the seventh, the Rockets got hard hit singles from Scott Spears and Taylor Petty to open the inning.
Scott Fieber walked on four pitches to load the bases. Michael Smith was hit by a pitch on a 2-0 count to chase losing pitcher Austin Taylor.
Allan Sisson worked reliever Scott McCrory to a full count before drawing a walk to force in Petty with the winning run.
Kosciusko out hit the Rockets 9-7. Allen Howell had a single and a double for the Whippets, and John Reuben Cox added a pair of singles.
Petty had two singles for the Rockets, as they improved to 10-3.
Kosciusko fell to 6-3.
The Whippets took a 3-0 lead in the top of the second on an RBI single by Howell and a two-run double to left field by Eli Dew.
The Rockets countered with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the second on a throwing error by Howell at shortstop.
The Whippets extended their lead to 5-2 with two runs in the top of the fifth. Cox singled and Torrey Stewart followed with a double. Cox came home on a sacrifice fly by Nicholas Upchurch. Stewart trotted home on a single by Brett Dyess.
Sisson's two-run double highlighted a two-out rally by the Rockets in the bottom of the fifth. Sisson's hit chased home Fieber, who was hit by a pitch, and Smith, who had singled.
Rick McCrary got the win with two innings of shutout relief of Travis Butler.
Neshoba Central 8
Ackerman 6
The Rockets built an 8-3 lead over the first six innings and held off a late rally by Ackerman in the bottom of the seventh to take the day's opening game.
Neshoba out hit the Indians 15-12.
Petty had three singles and a double for the Rockets (9-3). Smith had a single and a double, while Spears, Fieber, and Adam Griffin each had a pair of singles.
Jordan Flake had an RBI single as the Rockets scored three times in the top of the fifth.
Fieber got the win with Petty coming on in the seventh to close out the contest.
Ryan Miller had two doubles for Ackerman (8-4). Brent Telano had a single and a double, while Daniel Stevens and Brady Lance both had a pair of singles. Gregory Tuck had a double.
Matt Bell took the loss.