Sophomores Take Early Lead in “Eagle Cup”

(MERIDIAN) - Perfect weather and clear skies greeted the players for the Seventh Semi-Annual “Eagle Cup” (a Ryder Cup format battle between the sophomores and freshman of the MCC golf team) on the opening day at Northwood Country Club.

The “Sophomore” team, captained by Garrett Westbrook, faced off Monday afternoon against the “Freshman” team, captained by Clemens Dvorak, in a four ball match play format with each match being played for one point. A total of three points were up for grabs on Day One.

The first match of the day featured Garrett Westbrook and Tanner Sparks against Bo Reed and Oscar Marical.

Westbrook/Sparks jumped out early, and dominated the match winning 6 & 4, earning the sophomore team the first point of the Eagle Cup.

Match two featured Nick Hawkes and Clinton Hales (Alumni) versus Adam Monsen and JT Soley.

What looked like a lock for the sophomore paring of Hawkes/Hales after being 2 UP with 4 to play, Monsen and Soley reeled off three straight holes to go 1 UP with 1 to play, but a clutch birdie putt on the final hole from Hawkes earned an ALL SQUARE after regulation, meaning both team earned ½ a point.

The drama continued in the final match of the day as Cory Williamson teamed up with local junior golfer Easton Key on the sophomore team to face Brandt Garon and Clemens Dvorak of the freshman team.

A back and forth match the entire front nine, Garon/Dvorak seemed to be pulling away as they were 2 UP with 4 to play but birdies by Key and Williamson on #15 and #17 send the match ALL SQUARE going into the final hole, after missed birdie attempts from both sides, the final match ended in a draw.

Day Two of the three day event continues tomorrow with true alternate shot match play being held at Briarwood CC. Play beings at 2 PM with the sophomores leading the freshman 2-1.

Results:
Day One
Four-Ball Match play
Match 1- Garrett Westbrook/Tanner Sparks defeated Bo Reed/Oscar Mariscal 6&4
Match 2- Nick Hawkes/Clinton Hales halved Adam Monsen/J.T. Soley AS
Match 3- Cory Williamson/Easton Key halved Brandt Garon/Clemens Dvorak AS

Point Totals
(after Rd 1)
Sophomores 2
Freshmen 1

About:
The 7th Semi-Annual Eagle Cup will be held this semester for bragging rights and a week off of workouts/conditioning and study hall. The teams will be divided into freshman vs. sophomores in a three day Ryder Cup style format. The players on the winning team will receive “The Cup.”

Format: The Eagle Cup will consist of three different match-play formats:
• Monday, August 31st- Four-Ball match-play Northwood CC
• Tuesday, September 1st- Alternate shot match-play Briarwood CC
• Wednesday, September 2nd- Singles match-play Northwood CC

Rules of Play:
USGA Rules of Golf govern all play. All play will begin from the blue tee markers. Please note the following for this competition.
-Match Play- Rule 2
-Alternate Shot- Rule 30
-Four-Ball Match Play- Rule 30

Captains:
• Sophomore Team- Garrett Westbrook
• Freshman Team- Clemens Dvorak

History:
Date Winner
Fall 2006: Sophomores Fall 2007: Sophomores Fall 2008: Sophomores
Spring 2007: Sophomores Spring 2008: Sophomores Spring 2009: Sophomores

MCC soccer sweeps Delta State J.V.

The Meridian Community College soccer teams went on the road Wednesday to Cleveland, MS and faced off against Delta State University Junior Varsity teams in a pre-season scrimmage.

The Lady Eagles won 3-2 to remain undefeated in the pre-season (2-0).

Sophomore Christina Murray scored two goals in the first half. Freshman Anastasia Vogel scored the game winning goal in the second half.

The Eagles won 2-1 in their contest to make their pre-season record 1-1.

Sophomore Heath Carroll got the first goal to tie up the game at halftime.

Freshman Valentino Fogo scored game winner in second half.

The MCC womens team will be in action tomorrow when they host Mississippi College at C.D. Smith Field. Action begins at 6 PM.

MCC vs Jones soccer scrimmage

LAUREL – Fabiel Martinez, a Gulfport freshman for Jones County, scored in the 29th minute to help the JCJC Bobcats defeat the Meridian Community College Eagles 1-0 in a scrimmage Saturday afternoon at the Laurel Sportsplex.

In the women’s scrimmage, MCC jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Lady Bobcats.

Kelsey Edwards got the ‘hat trick’ for MCC. She scored goals in the 33rd minute, 50th minute and 73rd minute.

Both MCC soccer teams will be back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Cleveland, MS to face the Delta State University J.V. squads.

Fans gather for Eagle Day 2009

Former MCC pitcher, Cliff Lee, adjusts as Phils dump Rockies

By Ray Parrillo- Staff Writer
Philadelphia Inquirer

The pitching line for Cliff Lee in the Phillies' 3-1 win over Colorado yesterday was similar to the one next to his name when he made his debut with the defending World Series champions last Friday in San Francisco.

It's a line his new club will likely see again and again, and rest assured that Lee's teammates and the loyal folks who shoehorn their way into Citizens Bank Park game after game will never tire of it.

One run in nine innings against the Giants. One run in seven against the Rockies.
But the 30-year-old lefthander arrived at his first win in his new home park differently, and therein lies his brilliance. It is why he won the Cy Young Award in the American League last season and why general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. saw him as much more than a consolation prize after he turned away from Toronto's demands for Roy Halladay last week.

What worked for Lee against the Giants wasn't working against Colorado at the start of the game, so he took another route to success.

"That's Cliff being Cliff," catcher Paul Bako said after Lee extended his winning streak to five games.

"He showed he can make adjustments. Last week, he really pounded the Giants inside with cutters and fastballs, and today he threw a lot of two-seamers and change-ups away, and threw the ball great. His cutter wasn't working as well. He's shown he can make adjustments."

Lee has a simple approach - throw strikes, work fast, and trust your defense. It sounds like Pitching 101, but is a class the large number of cautious nibblers around the game apparently missed.

"He gets the game going," manager Charlie Manuel said after the Phils took the three-game series from Colorado with their second win.

"He gets the game into a flow, and that's especially good for the guys behind him. And it shows a lot of self-confidence."

Lee didn't care for the way things got going against the Rockies in a game played in a swift 2 hours, 22 minutes. He was in trouble after Dexter Fowler led off the game with a hard-hit double down the left-field line and Seth Smith singled him to third. First and third, nobody out.

But after Todd Helton scored Fowler with a sacrifice fly, Lee put the Rockies to sleep, holding them to four more hits and striking out nine while walking one before Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge efficiently closed out the victory.

"To come out of first and third and nobody out with one run, I'm pleased with that," said Lee, who doesn't bother to ice his arm after he pitches.

"From there, I felt like I locked in a little bit more and gave the team a chance, and that's really the ultimate goal. To get the first one out of the way in Philly, I feel good about that."

Bako, the backup to Carlos Ruiz who is wearing his 11th different big-league uniform, had his biggest hit as a Phillie when he began the fifth inning with his first home run since June 3 of last season to give the Phils a 2-1 lead. Jimmy Rollins, who had three hits, scored the two other runs.

"Personally, I was scuffling for the last 10 days or so," said Bako, who also had a single.

"So it was nice to break out of it a little bit. But it started with Cliff and how he threw. Some of the pitches they were swinging at and some they were taking showed how well he hides the ball and how nasty his pitches are."

Afterward, Lee said it was important to him to quickly prove his worth with the Phillies and show his new teammates who he was. So far, it's been quite an introduction.