Comeback and Grand Slam Power Eagles to Conference Sweep
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 13 | 1 |
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0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | X | 6 | 11 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball delivered a thrilling comeback and a dominant finish Saturday afternoon, sweeping East Mississippi in conference play with a 6-5 victory in game one and a 12-1 run-rule win in five innings in game two.
With the sweep, the Eagles improve to 21-18 overall and 7-7 in MACCC play, moving into 8th place in the conference standings — a key position as the top eight teams qualify for postseason play.
Game One – Eagles Storm Back from Early Deficit
The opener got off to a rocky start for Meridian as East Mississippi plated five runs in the top of the first inning to take an early 5-0 lead.
The Eagles quickly began chipping away in the second inning. Isabella White delivered a two-run double, followed by an RBI double from Alex Layfield, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
After a few scoreless frames, Meridian evened the score in the fifth inning when Allie Loftin launched a two-run home run — her first of the season — to tie the game at 5-5.
The Eagles completed the comeback in the sixth inning, pushing across the go-ahead run to secure the 6-5 victory.
Willa Simmons started in the circle but was lifted after 0.2 innings. Hannah Capello came on in relief and delivered a standout performance, pitching 5.2 scoreless innings to earn the win. Chelsea Regan recorded the final two outs and got the save.
Meridian totaled eleven hits in game one, led by White's 3-for-3 performance that included a triple and double with two RBIs. Layfield added a double and two RBIs, while Loftin's home run drove in two.
Game Two – Eagles Explode in Run-Rule Victory
Game two saw Meridian carry its momentum into a dominant performance.
After a standout performance at the plate in game one, Isabella White got the start in the circle in game two and delivered, tossing a complete game while allowing just one run on two hits.
Meridian opened the scoring in the first inning with aggressive baserunning from Delaney Perry. The Eagles added to their lead in the fourth inning, highlighted by an RBI double from Raegan King and additional runs from King and Jaylin Jones, taking a 5-0 advantage.
After East Mississippi scored its lone run in the fifth, Meridian responded with a decisive seven-run inning in the bottom half.
The inning featured an RBI double from Charlee Smith, another RBI double from King, and a clutch hit from Presley Black. With the Eagles needing one more run to secure the run-rule victory, Alex Layfield delivered the exclamation point with a walk-off grand slam, giving Meridian the 12-1 win.
The Eagles finished game two with 12 hits and 10 RBIs, with Layfield accounting for five RBIs in the contest.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead praised his team's performance and the strong home support.
"It was great to see one of our biggest crowds of the season come out and support us," Grinstead said. "Our team responded in a big way, and it was great to send them home happy."
Meridian will now travel to Decatur to face East Central in a conference doubleheader before the Easter break. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
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