DECATUR, Miss. — The East Central Community College Warriors split their MACCC-opening doubleheader with Jones College Tuesday evening at the Clark/Gay Baseball Complex, claiming a 12-9 victory in game one before falling 13-2 in the nightcap.

East Central's offense powered the Warriors in the opener, producing 14 hits and scoring in five different innings to secure the conference win.

The Warriors struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Mason Hickman launched a solo home run to center field to give East Central an early lead.

East Central extended the advantage in the second inning as Landon Moore delivered an RBI single to score Sawyer Bates and make it 2-0.

Jones College responded with two runs in the third inning and another in the fourth to take a brief 3-2 lead, but East Central quickly answered in the bottom half of the fourth. Will Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game before Brant Melancon followed with an RBI single that put the Warriors back in front.

The decisive moment came in the fifth inning when East Central erupted for five runs. Sawyer Bates highlighted the rally with a two-run double to center field, while Ryan Nelson later delivered a two-run home run to extend the Warriors' lead to 9-3.

East Central continued to add insurance runs in the sixth inning. DeMarkez West drove in Brant Melancon with an RBI single before Briceton Johnson and Williams each added RBIs to push the lead to 12-3.

Jones College attempted a late comeback, scoring three runs in the seventh inning and adding runs in the eighth and ninth, but the Warriors held on for the 12-9 victory.

Trae Winn earned the win on the mound after pitching six innings, allowing three runs while striking out five.

Several Warriors contributed offensively in the opener. Hickman finished with two hits and an RBI, Nelson drove in two runs with his home run, and Bates added two RBIs with his fifth-inning double. Melancon and West also delivered key RBIs as East Central's lineup produced consistent pressure throughout the game.

In game two, the Warriors jumped out to an early lead but were unable to hold off a late surge from Jones College.

East Central plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning when Mason Hickman scored on a sacrifice fly from Jackson White before Pablo Roque followed with a solo home run to center field to make it 2-0.

The Warriors maintained that lead through five innings as left-hander Jackson Clark delivered a strong start on the mound, striking out seven while allowing just two hits.

However, the momentum shifted in the sixth inning when Jones College took advantage of defensive miscues and a series of free passes to score eight runs and take control of the game.

Jones added five more runs in the seventh inning to extend the lead to 13-2.

Roque provided one of East Central's offensive highlights in the game with his solo home run, while Mason Hickman reached base multiple times and Sawyer Bates and Brant Melancon each recorded hits.

Despite the setback in the second game, East Central secured a split in the MACCC-opening doubleheader behind a strong offensive performance in the opener.