Eagles Upset No. 14 Northeast with Doubleheader Sweep to Open Conference Play
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 10 | 3 |
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0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 17 | 0 |
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0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 | 2 |
BOONEVILLE, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball opened MACCC play in impressive fashion Friday afternoon, sweeping No. 14 Northeast Mississippi Community College on the road with an 8-4 victory in game one and an 11-5 win in game two.
The Eagles' performance was particularly notable considering Northeast entered the matchup with a 23-1 overall record, making the road sweep a major statement to begin conference play. With the wins, Meridian improves to 16-11 overall and 2-0 in MACCC action.
Game One – Eagles Break It Open Late
Meridian struck first in the opening inning to take an early 1-0 lead, but the Lady Tigers answered in the third to tie the game. Northeast then pulled ahead 2-1 in the fifth, setting the stage for the Eagles' offensive surge.
The game turned in the sixth inning, when Meridian exploded for six runs to take control of the contest. The Eagles added another run in the seventh and held off a late push from Northeast to secure the 8-4 victory.
Willa Simmons pitched a complete game in the circle to earn the win, allowing four runs (two earned) while striking out four batters.
Offensively, Meridian tallied 10 hits, including doubles from Hannah Buckley and Raegan King, while driving in six runs.
Game Two – Eagles' Bats Stay Hot
The Eagles carried their momentum into the second game, once again jumping out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning.
The second inning proved to be the turning point as Meridian plated six runs, while Northeast countered with three. After two innings, the Eagles held a 7-3 advantage.
Meridian added another run in the fifth before Northeast responded with two runs of its own. The Eagles then delivered the final blow in the sixth inning, scoring three more runs to pull away for the 11-5 win and complete the sweep.
The Eagles finished with 17 hits in game two, highlighted by two doubles from Alex Layfield and additional doubles from Mollie Mitchell, Delaney Perry, Charlee Smith, and Allie Loftin. Meridian drove in 11 runs in the contest.
Isabella White started in the circle and earned the win, pitching four innings while allowing five runs and striking out one batter. Aubree Jones and Chelsea Regan came on in relief to close out the game.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead praised his team's performance against one of the nation's top teams.
"These are great wins for our team and shows the hard work they put in today," Grinstead said. "Going on the road and beating a top-15 team is a huge accomplishment and a testament to where this program is heading."
Meridian will continue conference play Tuesday when the Eagles travel to Wesson to face No. 5 Copiah-Lincoln. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. and can be viewed live at:
https://www.colinathletics.com/general/live_stream
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