Layfield Powers Eagles to Conference Sweep at East Central
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 8 | 3 |
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1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 1 |
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1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
DECATUR, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball showed resilience and power at the plate, sweeping East Central in a MACCC doubleheader with a 10-5 win in game one and a 9-4 victory in game two.
With the sweep, the Eagles improve to 23-20 overall and 9-9 in conference play, positioning themselves for a strong push down the stretch.
Game One – Eagles Finish What They Started
Game one began on March 31 before being halted due to weather after two innings, with Meridian holding a 5-1 lead behind back-to-back home runs from Alex Layfield and Mollie Mitchell in the second inning.
When play resumed on April 9, the Eagles picked up right where they left off. Meridian added a run in the third, but East Central responded to cut the lead to 6-3.
The Eagles extended their advantage with runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make it 8-3, before the Lady Warriors chipped away again to make it 8-5 in the sixth.
Layfield delivered the decisive blow, launching her second home run of the game, a two-run shot that sealed the 10-5 victory.
Meridian totaled seven hits and eight RBIs in the opener. Willa Simmons earned the win in the circle, pitching 5.2 innings with three strikeouts. Hannah Capello closed out the game with 1.1 scoreless innings in relief.
Game Two – Eagles Explode in Fifth Inning
East Central struck first in game two, taking a 2-0 lead behind a solo home run in the first and an RBI double in the third.
Layfield stayed hot at the plate, cutting the deficit to one with a solo home run in the fourth.
The Eagles then took control in the fifth inning with an offensive explosion. Raegan King and Isabella White opened the inning with back-to-back solo home runs to give Meridian a 3-2 lead.
From there, the bats stayed hot as Meridian plated seven runs in the inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Mitchell and Allie Loftin, along with RBI doubles from Charlee Smith and King to extend the lead to 8-2.
East Central answered with a two-run home run in the sixth, but Meridian shut the door in the seventh to secure the 9-4 win.
The Eagles finished game two with 13 hits and nine RBIs. Chelsea Regan started game two pitching three innings and allowing two runs. White came on in relief and delivered four innings, allowing just one hit and two runs while striking out one.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead praised his team's focus and ability to respond after the delay.
"I'm proud of how we came back after the postponement and stayed focused," Grinstead said. "We've put ourselves in a good position heading into the final stretch of the regular season."
Meridian will return home Saturday to host Holmes in a conference doubleheader at Tommy McDonald Field. First pitch is set for Noon, with tickets available at mcceagles.com/tickets for $8 online or $10 at the gate. The games will also be streamed at mcceagles.live/green.
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