No. 2 Bengals oust Eagles at Region 23 tourney

By Brandon Walker
assistant sports editor

One day after rebounding from a five-run deficit to capture an unforgettable 14-inning classic over Itawamba, the Meridian Community College Eagles ran out of magic Sunday afternoon.

On the final day of the Region 23 Tournament in Poplarville, the Eagles failed to protect an early 8-0 lead, yielding 20 hits and committing six errors in a 19-11 loss to LSU-Eunice.

With the loss, the Eagles were eliminated from the tournament and watched their season end two games short of the NJCAA Division II World Series.

LSU-Eunice, ranked No. 2 in the latest NJCA Division II poll, moved on to Sunday night’s Region 23 championship game against tournament host Pearl River.

In a game that was wild from the outset, MCC starting shortstop Jarrod Parks and head coach Chris Rose were ejected in the top of the first inning after Parks was called out on strikes.

Minus their shortstop and head coach, the Eagles seemed undeterred early on, erupting for eight runs in the top of the fourth to take a commanding 8-0 lead.

In the inning, MCC managed 10 hits and sent 14 batters to the plate. Scott Mosely and Wesley Thigpen both singled to open the inning and Josh DeMoney reached on an error to load the bases with no outs.

Tyler McMullen and Drew Snider delivered back-to-back RBI singles and Shannon Steed drove home a run with a grounder to give MCC a 3-0 cushion. After Tyler Koelling made that lead 4-0 with a single, former West Lauderdale standout Tyler Vick doubled off the wall in center to score two more. The two-run double came on Vick’s second at-bat after returning from a broken wrist.

Thigpen added an RBI grounder and DeMoney doubled home a run to round out the scoring for MCC.

Trailing 8-0, LSU-Eunice wasted little time in striking back, finally getting to MCC starter Jordan Falkner for five runs in the bottom of the fourth. Bengal catcher Nate Peterson had the big blow of the inning, a three-run home run off of Falkner.

The Bengals tied the score in the fifth with a three-run outburst off of MCC reliever Jason Coats, with first baseman Kellen Bozeman delivering a two-run blast.

Thigpen added another RBI single in the sixth to give MCC a 9-8 lead before LSU-Eunice took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Facing Eagles’ reliever Ian Sharp, the Bengals took their first lead on an RBI double by Tyler Slocum. Chase Blanchard and Peterson each added RBI singles for the Bengals.

MCC struck for two more in the top of the seventh but another five-run burst by the Bengals ended the game in the bottom of the seventh as an error by Vick allowed LSU-Eunice to take a 19-11 lead, which triggered the eight-run rule.

On the day, MCC’s offense managed 16 hits on LSUE pitching with DeMoney, Mosely and Thigpen all collecting three hits.