Eagles Run-Rule Top 5 Jones, Rally Falls Just Short in High-Scoring Split

MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Community College baseball battled one of the top teams in the country Tuesday at Scaggs Field, earning a split with No. 2 Jones College behind a dominant game one performance and a furious late rally in game two.

Before first pitch of game one, a special moment highlighted the day as Easton Moore, the raffle winner from the recent Legends of the Game: A Night With Chipper Jones event, threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Easton, who also served as the team's honorary bat boy, is the younger brother of Eagles pitcher Conner Moore. The two shared a hug on the field prior to the game, creating a memorable experience for the Moore family.

The Eagles took the opener 14-4 in eight innings before falling just short in a wild 17-15 contest in game two, moving to 19-20 overall and 6-14 in MACCC play.

Game One – Eagles Explode Late to Run-Rule Bobcats

Meridian found itself trailing early, down 2-0 in the second inning, before Tyler Johnson launched his 14th home run of the season to cut the deficit in half.

The Eagles grabbed control in the third inning when Jacob Driver crushed a three-run, 465-foot home run into the parking lot to give Meridian a 3-2 lead.

Jones would tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth, but Johnson answered once again with a two-RBI single to put the Eagles back on top 6-4.

From there, Meridian's offense took over.

Driver added his second home run of the game in the seventh, another towering shot to the parking lot, sparking a big inning. Nate Trochessett drove in a run before Brayden Allen blasted a three-run home run to stretch the lead to 11-4.

The Eagles capped things off in the eighth, scoring three more runs, highlighted by a walk-off two-run double from Harlin Hovater to secure the run-rule victory.

Meridian piled up 18 hits and 14 RBIs in the opener.

On the mound, Vaiden Ellis earned the win, going five innings while allowing five hits and striking out five. Conner Moore was dominant in relief, tossing three hitless and scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Game Two – Eagles' Comeback Bid Falls Just Short

Game two turned into an offensive battle from the start, with Jones jumping out to a 5-0 lead through two innings.

Meridian answered in the second with an RBI triple from Trochessett and an RBI double from Allen to cut the deficit to 5-2.

After both teams traded runs in the third, Jones extended its lead to 8-3 in the fourth, but Driver stayed hot at the plate, launching his third home run of the day, a two-run shot to make it 8-5.

The Bobcats continued to apply pressure, building a 13-5 lead in the fifth and eventually pushing it to 17-7 in the seventh.

But the Eagles refused to go quietly.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Meridian mounted a dramatic rally, scoring five runs to cut the deficit to 17-12. The momentum continued when Graham Jackson delivered a bases-clearing double, bringing the Eagles within two runs and igniting the home crowd.

With the tying run at the plate, Meridian's comeback attempt came up just short as the final out ended the rally.

Head Coach Dillon Sudduth praised his team's resilience against a top-ranked opponent.

"I'm proud of how our guys competed all day," Sudduth said. "We got a big win in game one and showed a lot of fight in game two. That's the kind of effort we can build on."

The Eagles will return to Scaggs Field on Saturday for Sophomore Day against Mississippi Delta. Sophomores will be recognized prior to game one of the doubleheader, with special ceremonial first pitches scheduled before each game.

First pitch is set for 2 p.m., with tickets available at mcceagles.com/tickets or via livestream at mcceagles.live/green.

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