The East Central Community College Diamond Warriors scattered 16 hits Thursday afternoon to pick up a 16-7 win over Mississippi Delta Community College.

With the win, East Central (33-15) punched its ticket to next week’s NJCAA Region 23 tourney at Jones County Junior College. 

Former Newton County standout Jacob Edwards finished with two RBIs, a run and a walk. Union High School product Brandon Clark went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, and Newton County Academy alumnus Ty Alderman tallied two RBIs and two runs. Former Quitman standout Zach Parker collected two hits, two RBIs and two runs, while Cole Prestegard netted a game-high four hits in four at-bats. Prestegard, a Huntsville, Ala., native, also led the game with five RBIs. 

Alderman blasted a fifth-inning home run, and Parker added a stolen base. 

The Warriors jumped out to a 4-2 lead in the second inning and piled on 10 runs in the fifth. Two East Central runs in the bottom of the seventh rounded out the Warriors’ scoring.

Pitcher Hagan Brown received the win.