Eagles open season with sweep

By Jeff Edwards / assistant sports editor
The Meridian Star

The Meridian Community College Eagles got an outstanding pitching effort in sweeping a doubleheader against Lurleen B. Wallace Community College on opening day at Scaggs Field Saturday afternoon.

The Eagles shut out L.B. Wallace in both games, taking the first game by a 7-0 score and completing the sweep with a 2-0 win in game two. Both games were seven inning affairs.

“You can’t do much better than put up a goose egg in a doubleheader against a quality team,” MCC coach Chris Rose said. “I couldn’t ask more from the pitching staff and defense. I’m excited about it.”

The Eagles used the arms of Lee Swindle and Jason Coats and the bats of Tyler Moore and Toddrick Stevenson to take the first game.

Swindle needed only 50 pitches to toss five shutout innings and Coats came on in relief to finish the game with two more shutout frames.

“They got the job done,” Rose said. “I’m excited about the effort.”

Swindle and Coats combined to allow only five hits.After two scoreless innings, the Eagles would get all the runs they needed in the third. After Stevenson and Matt Holliman led the inning off with singles, Moore followed up with a three-run blast that gave MCC a 3-0 cushion.

Meridian added another run in the fourth inning, as Moore hit his second homer of the game, this one a solo shot.

“Tyler Moore did an excellent job,” Rose said. “He did what we expect of him.”

The Eagles capped off their scoring in the sixth, as Stevenson would hit a three-run round-tripper to score Josh Demoney and Shannon Steed. MCC belted out 11 total hits in the game.

While the first game was a walk in the park, the second game of the doubleheader was a nailbiter that came down to the final inning.MCC scored both of their runs in the first inning.

After the first two were out, Michael Guerrero and Moore both drew walks. A passed ball scored Guerrero from second base and Moore then scored on a Jerrod Parks single.Eagle starting pitcher Wade Weathers made those two runs stand up for six innings, as he baffled the L.B. Wallace batters, allowing only two hits and striking out four. Ian Sharp came on in the seventh to try and nail down the save, but would quickly find trouble.

Sharp walked leadoff batter Joe Nunnari and Chris Fulford followed with an infield single. Seth Basinger then laid down a masterful bunt for a base hit that loaded the bases with no outs.Sharp then exited and Stevenson was brought in from center field to pitch. The Eagle freshman got Michael Matherly to pop up to second base and Cody Adams to fly out to shallow right for the first two outs before striking out Jeremy Jones on three pitches to end the game.

“We recruited him as a duel guy,” Rose said of Stevenson. “He hadn’t pitched much but he’s a gamer and wants the ball.”

MCC is back in action this afternoon with a doubleheader against Alabama Southern Community College. The first game begins at 1 p.m. at Scaggs Field.