2005

Eagles out slug Warriors

By Tony Krausz sports editor

Meridian Community College showed no signs of panic in the second game of a Central Division doubleheader against East Central Community College on Saturday at Scaggs Field. Despite falling behind 4-0 after the first haJf

inning and the Eagles' pitcher showing control problems, MCC just went to work at the plate. The Eagles evened the game at four in the bottom of the first inning en route to a 14-4, six-inning win in the

second part of the double dip. MCC (26-4) won the first game 11-0 in five innings over ECCC (16-17). "They shoved it right in our face in the second game, 4-0 is a tough mountain to climb," said Eagles shortstop Michael Murray. "Putting four runs back up there clogged them down a little bit, and it gave us the confidence to go right in." Murray started MCC's early-game rally leading off the bottom of the first with a single and scoring the Eagles' first run of game two off a balk by ECCC pitcher Cody Savell. MCC third baseman Brian Frichter followed the balk with a two-run home run over the right-field wall to bring tht• Warriors' lead down to one. and catcher Tommy Lott tied the game with an RBI single. "ft helped a lot," Frichter said of the home run. "(Center fielder Toddrick Johnson) said · we needed to scratch two runs. Mike (Murray) came up with the first hit, Todd got the next hit, Joey (Lieberman) moved them over, and I got a slider away and just hit it out." The Eagles took the lead for good in the second inning of game two. getting back-to– hack RBI singles from Frichtcr and Dillon Sud– duth for a 6-4 lead. Murray. who tt•rrori7.-ed ECCC at the plate throughout the . u.ond game going 5-for-5,

PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT/ THE MERIDIAN STAR

IN BEFORE THE TAG Meridian Comrrjnity College's Josh McBride beats the tag of East Central Community

College's Chris /ierce with a steal of second. boosted MCC'!advantage to 7-4 with a solo homer in the tltd. The shortstop finished the second game Wh four singles and the homer, after hitting on single in the first game. "The kid is1benomenal," said MCC head coach Chad Calet of Murray. "It is going to be a sad day whe I have to let him go. He is every thingyowant to coach.'' The Eagles ut the finishing touch on their run-rule win it:he second game in the bottom of the sixth, scring seven runs off five hits and a balk. Liebermargot things roOing in the game– ending inning.vith a three-run homer over the left-fitld wall nto al-itiff wind that was blowing out!o right fi1ld f01a 10-4 lead. ·· frichter. '!lho f&_owed the homer with a

double, scored on a balk, and Trey Jones upped MCC's lead to 12-4 by drawing a bases-loaded walk that scored Sudduth. Murray ended the game with his fourth single of the contest. this one a two-run shot to left field for the 10-run victory. "That's just luck," Murray said of his per– formance at the plate. "I put some good ~wings on it and found holes. That is the name of the game. It just happened to be my day today." Frichter went 3-for-4 with a single, doublt> and homer in the second game, and Johnson, Sudduth and Lott each had two singles. ECCC's Ken Gordon hit two doubles in the loss.

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