eye on enid

After a day of rest, Pearl River Community College and East Central CC will get back on the field for the sixth installment of their compelling 2025 rivalry. They meet tonight in a winners bracket game at Enid, Okla., in the NJCAA Division II World Series. Both have been ranked No. 1 at one point this year. When last they tangled, PRCC won 10-0 in the deciding Game 3 of the Region 23 title series, played at Poplarville earlier this month. The Wildcats outscored the Warriors 36-7 in that series, something that no doubt gnaws at the ECCC players. The teams split their MACCC regular season doubleheader, played in March in Decatur. Pearl River, seeded second in the World Series, is 51-8, coming off an 11-3 win against Kellogg (Mich.) on Sunday. Jackson Hood keyed a pivotal five-run fifth inning with a home run, and K.K. Clark posted his 11th win. Jacob Johnson, 12-game winner who beat ECCC in the Region 23 clincher, should be available tonight. East Central, 45-14 and the 6-seed, has won two games in Enid, including a wonky 10-9 victory vs. South Mountain (Ariz.) on Sunday. The Warriors squandered a 6-0 lead but got a big bomb from Brady McAbee, a clutch go-ahead knock in the ninth from Eli Smith and a 1-2-3 final inning from closer Andrew Nielsen to emerge a winner. It was their second one-run win in Enid. ECCC has used seven pitchers, with Nielsen closing in both contests. The winner of tonight’s game will be in the driver’s seat to make the WS finals.