Booneville, MS – Northeast grabbed their highest ranked win of the 2026 season against #1 East Central on Saturday where the Tigers bounced back in game two with a 6-5 win over the Warriors to split the doubleheader. 

A strong start in game one gave Northeast the early momentum thanks to a 2-RBI triple from Conner McKnatt to grow a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first. Momentum shifted quickly in the top of the second off three home runs by East Central who grabbed hold of the lead through the rest of contest. Trae Cagle stepped up and hammered out a homer to left field to add to the Tigers' total with Gavin Puckett adding an RBI double in the seventh before wrapping up the first game of the day with a 23-5 loss to the top ranked team in the NJCAA. 

Key Stats from Game 1:

• Hank Eaton recorded three straight strikeouts to conclude the top of the first with two of them striking out swinging.
• Cagle went 2 for 3 at the plate with one of his hits being his solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

Game two was an instant thriller with Northeast claiming a come from behind win over the Warriors who started the game off with a 4-0 lead through the first two innings. Easton Fesmire put the first run on the board for the Tigers with an RBI double to right field before singling in the fourth to drive in another score to cut the deficit in half 4-2 entering the fifth. A fielder's choice by East Central added another score to Northeast's total to close the gap down to one before a three-run homer by Brody Winemiller launched the Tigers ahead 6-4 before finishing off game two with a 6-5 win.

Key Stats from Game 2:

• Matthew Osteen recorded his third win of the season with five strikeouts through 6.0 innings pitched while Jordan Evers recorded his first save of the season.
• Fesmire went 3 for 3 at the plate with a pair of RBIs and one run.
• Winemiller's three-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth was his fourth of the season.

Northeast improves to 16-15 on the 2026 season with an even conference record of 3-3. They will return to action on Wednesday with a doubleheader at Holmes before returning for a doubleheader against Copiah-Lincoln on Saturday at The Plex with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 PM.