MCC softball splits with Hinds

The Meridian Community College softball team split a pair of division contests at Hinds on Tuesday. The split leaves MCC in a tie with East Central for second place in the division at 4-2. Hinds leads the division with a 6-2 record.

Hinds won game one 8-5, then the Lady Eagles picked up the split by beating Hinds 3-0 in game two.

In game one Hinds used a five run, six hit fifth inning to go ahead for good and an 8-5 win. Hinds added 1 run in the second, third and sixth innings to round out their scoring.

For the game Hinds had 13 hits, three errors, and left nine runners on. MCC had nine hits, two errors, and left eight stranded. MCC scored two runs in each the third and sixth innings and one run in the fifth.

Leading hitters for MCC were: De’Miracle Biggs (2-4), Shanese Hunter (2-3), and Constance Jones (2-4, double). Gabrielle Morgan took the loss on the mound for MCC.

MCC came back to win game two behind the strong performance of Shanese Hunter on the mound as she held Hinds to five hits. MCC, who collected 11 hits in the game, scored three runs in the fifth inning to get the victory. Natalie Parker led the inning off with a single to right field. After a strikeout and a walk issued to De’Miracle Biggs, MCC had three consecutive hits. Stephanie Stevens doubled home both Biggs and La’Toya Braxton (running for Parker). Hunter followed that with a single but was later called out for a baserunning infraction. Gabrielle Morgan then doubled to score Stevens. MCC made those three runs stand up as they limited Hinds to only two base runners the rest of the game.

“I thought the difference in the ballgames was that we came out a little tight in game one and allowed them to use their speed game to put the ball in play and we did do a go job of keeping the leadoff batter in each inning off base,” said MCC coach Robert Eakins

“I am proud of my team because in game two we came out and kept hitting the ball and we maintained our focus. We left runners stranded but we kept hitting the ball. Also we did not allow their speed game to come into play. When they got runners on or we made a mistake, we got out of it by turning some great plays on defense. We need to take this momentum into Wednesday game at East Central. Second place in the division is on the line and perhaps a tie for 1st if a sweep occurs by either team,” added Eakins.