Loftin’s Walk-Off Grand Slam Caps Eagles’ Sweep of Gulf Coast
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MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball delivered a memorable day at Tommy McDonald Field on Tuesday, sweeping Mississippi Gulf Coast behind a powerful offensive showing and a dramatic finish.
The Eagles took game one 4-1 before rallying for a 10-6 victory in game two, capped by a walk-off grand slam from Allie Loftin in the bottom of the seventh. With the sweep, Meridian improves to 29-22 overall and 15-11 in MACCC play.
Game One – Eagles Strike Early, Hold Off Bulldogs
Meridian came out swinging in the opener as Alex Layfield and Mollie Mitchell blasted back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning to give the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead.
Mississippi Gulf Coast cut into the lead in the fourth, but Loftin responded with a solo home run — the first of her three on the day — to extend the advantage to 3-1.
The Eagles added an insurance run in the sixth and leaned on a strong defensive effort to secure the 4-1 win.
Willa Simmons was sharp in the circle, pitching a complete game while allowing just five hits and one run, striking out two.
Game Two – Late Rally Ends in Walk-Off Fashion
Game two brought early adversity as the Bulldogs jumped out to a 5-0 lead through the first two innings.
Meridian chipped away in the fourth with an RBI double from Mitchell and a two-run home run from Loftin, cutting the deficit to 5-3.
After Gulf Coast added another run in the fifth, Mitchell answered with a two-run home run, her second of the day, to make it 6-5.
The Eagles completed the comeback in the seventh. Meridian drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game before Loftin stepped to the plate and delivered the moment of the day — a walk-off grand slam on her birthday to seal the 10-6 victory.
Meridian finished game two with 11 hits and 10 RBIs, and the offense totaled six home runs across the doubleheader.
Loftin led the way with three home runs and seven RBIs in a standout performance.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead praised his team's growth and timing as the season winds down.
"This team is picking up traction at the right time," Grinstead said. "It's been fun to coach and watch them continue to improve each week."
The Eagles will close out the regular season Thursday at home against Coahoma with a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. at Tommy McDonald Field.
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