Published: May 05, 2008 10:08 am            

MCC baseball

Friday and Saturday, Meridian Community College's Eagles used an offensinve onslaught to move through the MACJC State Tournament in Fulton, combining for 28 runs and 11 home runs in a pair of wins over Hinds and Northeast to reach the tourney semifinals.

On Sunday, the Eagles switched gears, using a pair of dominant pitching performances to top Itawamba and Pearl River en route to capturing the school's third state championship in four years.

MCC opened the day with a 3-2 win over tournament host Itawamba in the semis before riding a complete game performance from starting pitcher Jason Judge to a 6-1 victory over Pearl River in the finals.

"Our pitching was tremendous all day," remarked MCC head coach Chris Rose.

With the two wins, MCC clinched the top seed in next week's Region 23 Tournament, which will be hosted by Pearl River.

In the opener Sunday, MCC starter Jordan Faulkner scattered seven hits and allowed just two runs in 8.1 innings of work to earn the win while Ian Sharp closed the door in the ninth for the save.

The Eagles, who scored 14 runs in each of the past two games, jumped on the board first against Itawamba, with Scott Mosely delivering a 2-run double in the top of the second to stake the Eagles to an early lead.

After Itawamba scored single runs in the third and the seventh to tie the score, the game remained deadlocked into the top of the ninth

In the ninth, Shannon Steed was hit by a pitch with one out and advanced on a single by Mosely. MCC's Brent Tanner then continued his torrid hitting, delivering an RBI single to plate the game-winning run.

Once in the tournament finals, MCC jumped on Pearl River early, scoring a pair of runs in both the first and second innings to take a 4-0 lead.

Tanner connected for his fourth home run of the weekend in the first to stake MCC to a 2-0 lead while Drew Snider and Steed each had an RBI single in the bottom of the second.

The early runs would be enough for Judge, who tossed a complete-game, 3-hitter while notching six strikeouts on the day.

MCC added two more runs in the seventh when Tanner doubled to drive in Mosely and Jarrod Parks.

MCC will now take part in next week's Region 23 tourney, which is slated to begin May 14 in Poplarville.

—Brandon Walker

        

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