By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

WAYNESBORO — Two-time and back-to-back defending Class 5A state champion East Central has won a lot of big games on the baseball diamond over the past several decades.
But the Hornets need a couple of more victories this week in a key Region 4-5A match-up here to keep a 14-year playoff streak alive.
East Central is knotted up with Wayne County in the all-important fourth spot in the region race entering the final week of league play. The Hornets and the War Eagles each sit at 5-7 in the loop, one game behind third place Gautier which stands at 6-6.
East Central faces Wayne County in a huge three game series starting here at WCHS Tuesday night. The teams will then meet in Jackson County on Friday night before returning to Waynesboro Saturday afternoon to wrap up the regular season.
The Hornets are coming off a three game sweep of hapless Laurel last week. The trio of wins over the last place Golden Tornadoes kept East Central’s playoff hopes alive as it aims for its fourth state championship in the past 16 years.

“That sweep gave us a chance to get in the playoffs if we play well again this week,” veteran Hornets head coach Bo long said Monday afternoon. “I’d love the chance to get these guys in the playoffs and see what happens.”
To do that, however, his Hornets must win at least two of the three games against Wayne County this week to earn either the third or fourth seed. Vancleave has already locked up the region title and top seed and Stone is firmly planted in the second spot.
Gautier has the head-to-head tie-breaker over East Central due to winning two out of three games in that earlier series. The Gators face Stone in a three game series this week also. East Central hasn’t missed the state playoffs since the 2010 season.

However, the War Eagles have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Gautier after taking two of three games from the Gators last week. Gautier did manage to salvage the last game in the affair Saturday afternoon at home with a 6-3 win.
Fredrick Nicholson had two hits, including an RBI-double, in that win for the Gators. Ashton King drove in a pair of runs in the winning effort as well.
Issac Lopez picked up the pitching win as GHS evened its mark in the region race up.
In the other Region 4-5A series in the final week of league play this week, first place Vancleave will host last place Laurel Tuesday night in a series with absoloutely no implications on the league standings.