MCC baseball splits with Shelton State to close regular season

A pair of big innings in the second game of a doubleheader helped Meridian Community College bounce back from an earlier tough loss as the Eagles earned a split with Shelton State Community College in their regular-season finale.

A two-run home run in each of those innings sparked MCC and helped give the Eagles a 9-3 win in the opener. The Buccaneers took the opener with two runs in the seventh inning as Shelton State won 10-8.

Meridian (34-16) was trailing by three runs entering the bottom of the second in the nightcap when the first big inning started.

Kenny Sanders led off the frame and was hit by a pitch. He didn't stay on base long as Jonathan Pace sent a ball out of Scaggs Field. William Beckwith followed with a double, but was gunned out trying to stretch it into a triple for the first out of the inning.

A string of bad pitching added to MCC's tally and gave the Eagles the lead for good. Taylor Scarbrough drew a walk before Corey Dickerson was hit by a pitch. Brent Tanner, Tyler Vick and Wesley Thigpen also walked with the latter two receiving RBIs.

With a 4-3 lead, the Eagles failed to score in the third, but poured it on in the fourth.

Jordan King walked and Tanner ripped a shot to right field that left no doubt. The two-run job gave MCC a 6-3 advantage.

Vick and Thigpen both singled before Sanders walked to load the bases. Beckwith brought the first two runs home on a single and Scarbrough plated the final run of the game with a sacrifice fly.

Garrett Harris earned the win for the Eagles and improved to 6-2. Former Meridian High pitcher Shumpert McIntosh worked the seventh and struck out one batter.

In the opener it was the seventh inning that gave Shelton State the victory. Jared Cavenaugh struck out two of the first three batters he faced in the inning — plunking the other — before giving up an RBI double to Cody Fox. Former MCC infielder Nick Vickerson drove in the last run with an RBI single.

Meridian fell behind early, giving up two runs in the first inning. The Eagles got one run back in the bottom of the frame when Tanner singled in King, who singled and moved to second on a passed ball.

The second inning saw both teams score a run apiece. Beckwith walked and stole second to get into scoring position for Scarbrough, who singled in the run to make it a 3-2 game.

After the Buccaneers put up a three-spot in the third inning, the Eagles followed suit.

King doubled and was driven in by Vick's RBI single after Tanner was hit by a pitch. Pace brought two runs in with a double to bring the Eagles back within a run at 6-5.

MCC took its first lead of the game in the fourth inning when Sanders and Scarbrough scored on RBIs by King and Tanner, respectively.

With two runs in the sixth, Shelton State retook the lead in the 8-7 game. The Eagles tied it in the bottom of the inning an an RBI single by King that scored Sanders.

With the regular season now complete, the Eagles begin their postseason journey in Baton Rouge. MCC will play two games on Saturday (12 p.m. and 7 p.m.) in the double-elimination regional that also includes Delgado.