MCC routs Alabama Southern

By Robby Atkinson/Special to The Star

FORT WALTON, Fla. — The Meridian Community College Eagles used a fantastic pitching performance by Garrett Harris and a pair of huge innings on offense to take its first win of the 2009 season with an 18-2 victory against Alabama Southern Community College in the opening day of the Carl McInnis Classic at Northwest Florida College on Friday afternoon.

"It was a nice way to bounce back after we lost a pair of tough games to open the season," said MCC head coach Chris Rose after the first win of the season. "We got a spark from several guys that got us going and it feels great to get our first win."

Harris (1-0) picked up the win on the mound for MCC by pitching seven strong innings and collecting five strikeouts. Harris only allowed one earned run and two hits in the superb effort.

"He (Harris) pitched a fantastic game," added Rose. "He made some great pitches and got ahead in the count and did a great job for us."

Alabama Southern took its only lead of the game in the third inning on a sacrifice fly by Kasey Culverson, but the lead only lasted a half inning. MCC freshman William Beckwith belted a solo home run to deep left field in the top of the fourth inning to draw even with Alabama Southern at 1-1. The Eagles would take the lead for good in the following inning with another deep home run to make the score 2-1 when sophomore shortstop Jordan King connected on the solo shot down the line in left to give MCC a lead that would only grow larger.

Former Meridian High standout Taylor Scarbrough blasted a three-run home run to left center that gave the Eagles all the momentum it would need for the final four innings as MCC took a 5-1 lead.

"The pitching performance and that home run really gave us a huge spark," said Rose. "He (Scarbrough) had a great approach at the plate and that really got us going at the plate."

MCC would add another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Corey Dickerson to increase the Meridian lead to 6-1. The Eagles picked up three more runs in the seventh inning to take a 9-1 lead over Alabama Southern. Brent Tanner had a solo home run in the seventh inning and Scarbrough also drove in a run on a single.

The Eagles finished off Alabama Southern in the eighth inning with nine runs to take the win. Dickerson collected another single in the eighth for Meridian that drove in a run and Tanner added an RBI triple for the Eagles. King drove in a pair of runs in the eight with a single and Drew Crosby chipped in with a run scoring sacrifice fly. The other runs in the inning scored on walks and a fielding error by Alabama Southern.

Scarborough led the way at the plate for the Eagles with a pair of hits and five RBI's and Dickerson had four hits in the win with two RBI's.