2004

Meridian sweeps two from ECCC

Tally added a s ingle to give C ~ Coward an RBI chance. Coward dn•ve both runs in on a rwo-run ·ingle and the third run ~.,.c on a ground out to makt: t t' score 5-3. MCL answered with a pair of run" in the bottom of the thir-.. inning to extend its lead to 7- Self had an RBI triple in tht- 1nning and Ricky Newman collected an RBI on a fielder's choice. The Eagles ended the game with four runs in the fourth inning to seal the win. Self added his fifth RBI in the fourth inning on a single and Newman added an RBI single in the inning as well. Kyle Ginn had an RBI in the inning on a bases loaded h it– by-pitch which tied him with Carl Wiggins (1999) for most times hit-by-pitch in a game with three. Chris Rayborn (8-0) took the win in game one going five innings and allowing three earned runs and three hits. MCC ECCC 12 8 The Eagles pounded out 11 hits and got one home run apiece from George and Ginn in the fourth inning to take a four-run \Vin over Ea t Central. The Warriors held an 8-7 lead heading into the bottom of the four th inning, but George gave the Eagles the lead for good with a two-run home run to left center to give MCC a 9-8lead. "T he pitch was up in the strike zone and I was able to drive the baseball to a good part of the park for the homer," said George. ''This was a great way for the team to end the season heading into the tour-

By Robb)' Atkinson s - ·f wr ter

The Meridian Communitv College Eade, ended the _ - regular --e~ .. )n b~· clinchln, the l\1ACJC Central Di\i,ion cham– pionship with c! aoubleheader sweep of Ea'!'t Ce'ltral (ll-3, 12- 8) on Saturda~ afternoon at Scaggs Field. The Eagle conclude the regular season with a 36- recor d and will now mo,·e on to the MACJC tate Tourna– ment to be held at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville next " cekend. ''The teams will be gunning for us next weekend. said head coach Mike Fede ric. It w nice to be able to take care < f our business heading into the tournament next weekend and ending the season at home ";th a pair of wins is also a bonu . 11 MCC ECCC 11 3 The Eagles got a 3-for-4 per– formance from right fielder Sam Self in route to an eight– run win in game one of the twinbill. Self had a single, triple, and home run to fall just one hit s hort of becoming only the second player in school history to hit for the cycle. Lake Thoms of Newton is the only Eagle to accomplish the feat. "It was on my mind heading into my last at bat," said Self. "The credit goes to (assistant coach Chad) Calliet for making some changes in my swing. I struggled a lot at lhe plate at the beginning of the year and those changes have made a big difference." LAKE MESSENGER

LC pu• board tr nd innin~

r the War •rge led the · gle and Joe\· Ue'r-,....,...., ed with a \\:alk t r unners aboard gles. Self delivered h , third home -.tn of the season \\ith .. lhree– ~un blast to left c. ~mer 10 give \fCC the 3-0 lead. K]: e Ginn ~o!Jowed the homer b) reaching ar~t base on a hit-by-pitch and \1tchael Murray added a ,ingle to put another pair of runners on base for MCC T?ddrickJohn~ •n drove one run Ill on a ingle to left and the next run scored on a bases l~aded walk to Jo.h ~forgan to gtve MCC a five-run edge. East Central fought back to cut the s_core to 5-3 thanks to g reat hit– t.mg from the bottom of the lineup. "We played great situa tional baseball," said Federico. "We swung the bats well in the first game. to get that early lead for our p1tchers which was key." . ¥atth~w Boggan started the mnmg w1th a single and Jim

entri! liad a !':;~ lead in e second innm,g ·hank to a thr:ow:mg error b) ~1CC. but the Ea,gfe, bounced back in the ~ttom of ~e PCond to take a <>--: lead. \an Pope drove in a patr of r;uns on a double and Murray had an RBI single in the second. ~e Warriors struck for five runs m the third inning to take a 7-5 lead over the Eagles. Cow:ar~ had a two-run single in the mrung and Mario Thomas added a run scoring single as well. . "We did hit the ball well at times t~day, but we made too many rrustakes," said East Cen– tral hea_d ~ 1 oach Jake Yarbor– ough Sa.td. We can't give good teams chances to scor e runs after mis~es on the infield." MCC tied the game in the bott?m of the third inning with a. prur of runs due to an RBI smg!e from Lieberman and a sacrifice fly from Newman. MCC never trailed again afte r the ho~e runs by Ginn and George m the fourth inning.

CARTHAGINIAN - - - ---- NESHOBA DEMOCRAT ______ NEWTON RECORD - ----- MERIDIAN STAR _ rr_______ CLARION-LEDGER------

-- nament next weekend." SCOTT COUNTY TIMES------– UNION APPEAL--------- WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL _____ SPIRIT OF MORTON--- --- -- IMPACT ___ ___________