Eagles Close Regular Season with Sweep, Reach 30 Wins and Postseason
MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball capped off a historic regular season Thursday at Tommy McDonald Field, sweeping Coahoma Community College to reach milestones not seen in over a decade.
The Eagles run-ruled the Tigers 8-0 in five innings in game one before grinding out a 3-2 victory in game two, finishing the regular season at 31-22 overall and 17-11 in MACCC play.
The sweep secures the program's first 30-win season and first postseason appearance in over 15 years, marking a significant step forward for MCC softball.
Game One – Eagles Roll to Run-Rule Victory
Meridian set the tone early, scoring three runs in the first inning. Presley Black sparked the offense with a triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly, while Allie Loftin added an RBI single and Charlee Smith drove in a run with a double.
The Eagles extended the lead in the second when Hannah Buckley stole home to make it 4-0.
Meridian broke the game open in the third, plating three more runs behind an RBI single from Isabella White and a two-RBI single from Alex Layfield, pushing the advantage to 7-0.
Raegan King added an RBI double in the fourth to cap the scoring at 8-0.
In the circle, Hannah Capello was dominant, tossing a complete game shutout with five strikeouts to secure the run-rule win.
Game Two – Eagles Edge Tigers in Tight Finale
The nightcap proved to be a much tighter contest.
Meridian struck first in the second inning when Buckley delivered a bunt single to drive in the game's opening run.
The Eagles added to their lead in the fourth as King launched a solo home run to make it 2-0.
Coahoma battled back to tie the game late, but Meridian answered in the sixth. Delaney Perry delivered the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly, scoring Smith to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead.
Isabella White took care of the rest in the circle, pitching a complete game while allowing two runs and striking out four to earn the win.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead was proud of his team's effort to close out the regular season and the progress made throughout the year.
"It's great to see this group finish strong and reach some important milestones for our program," Grinstead said. "We're excited for what's ahead and the opportunity to compete in the postseason."
The Eagles enter postseason play with momentum, going 10-2 over their final 12 conference games and 10-4 overall during the month of April.
With the recent addition of the Citizens National Bank Sports Complex and Tommy McDonald Field, MCC softball continues to build toward the future, with this postseason berth serving as a major step forward.
Meridian will now await final standings and seeding as conference play wraps up across the league this weekend. Postseason play is set to begin next week.
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