MCC Wins In Extras Over BRCC

From School Reports


The Meridian Community College Eagles completed its sweep of the opening day of the 2012 Region 23 Tournament, but the game needed extra innings. MCC scored on a single by Dallas Hannah with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 14th inning to escape with a 6-5 victory over Baton Rouge.

MCC improved to 36-21 for the season with the victory and Baton Rouge finished the 2012 season with a 25-33 overall record. MCC will now advance into the Region 23 Championship game against Delgado Community College that is scheduled for Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

The game was dominated by pitching for most of the game as MCC held a 1-0 lead after six innings of play. The Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the second inning on a single by Blake Barrow to give MCC a one-run edge. Baton Rouge battled back to score three runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 3-1 lead over the Eagles. Two runs scored in the inning on an error by MCC and another run crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Grant Authement to give the Bears the lead.

MCC tied the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning with a pair of doubles from the top of the middle of the lineup. Kasey Hinton drove one run in for the Eagles on a double to shallow center field and the second run came across to score on a double to left field by Johnny Tolson.

Baton Rouge would scratch for a pair of runs in the top of the 10th inning on an error in the outfield by Meridian to make it a 5-3 score in favor of the Bears. MCC answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th inning on another mammoth home run by Wade Wass. The Pensacola, FL native delivered a two-run home run over the wall in left field to tie the game once again. The home run for Wass now brings his total for the season 23. Wass is now one home run away from tying the single season and career home run record at Meridian Community College.

MCC scored the winning run in the 14th inning on a single to deep center field by Dallas Hannah just pass the glove of Bo Parker to seal the victory.

Michael Manley (8-4) picked up the pitching win out the bullpen and finished the day with a pair of pitching wins in the first day of the tournament. MCC used five different pitchers in the game and the Eagles finished the game with 11 strikeouts as a pitching staff.