MCC Baseball Takes Down ICC

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College baseball squad came away with a hard fought 6-4 MACJC conference victory over Itawamba Community College on Saturday afternoon at Scaggs Field. The day was scheduled to be a doubleheader between the two schools, but Game Two was postponed due to heavy rain in the Meridian area. The second game of the doubleheader between MCC and Itawamba will be rescheduled for a later date during the season. MCC improved to 14-8 overall with the win and 4-3 in league play, while ICC dropped to 7-8 overall and 1-6 in league play.

MCC is scheduled to return to action Monday afternoon at Scaggs Field against Spring Hill College for a 3 p.m. doubleheader, while ICC will return to conference action on Wednesday afternoon by hosting Northwest Mississippi Community College. MCC will return to conference action on Wednesday as well by hosting Northeast Mississippi Community College for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.

The MCC offense came out swinging the bats early and often to build a 6-0 lead over the Indians. The Eagles scored its first run of the game in the bottom of second inning on an RBI double by Kyle Bayles to put the home team on top by a score of 1-0. MCC would continue to pour on the offense moments later as Andrew Crook delivered a two-run double to left field to make the score 3-0 in favor of MCC.

MCC would add yet another run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 4-0 in favor of the green and white. Sophomore Dustin Smith would deliver the big blow for the Eagles with an RBI single that scored Dalton Thomas to give MCC a four-run lead. The Eagles would complete its scoring for the game with another pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 6-0. Matt Berler collected on RBI in the inning on a double, while Michael Druhan also drove in a run in the frame on a sacrifice fly.

Itawamba would fight right back in the top of the fifth inning by scoring four runs to cut the MCC lead to 6-4. Brayden Owen had the big blow in the inning for the Indians on a three-run home run over the wall in left field, while Russ Johnson added an RBI single in the four-run inning for ICC.

The two teams would hand things over to the bullpen in the late stages of the game and MCC would prevail to hang on for the 6-4 victory over Itawamba. Jake Smith (3-0) picked up the pitching win for the Eagles by working 5 1/3 innings and collecting four strikeouts. Former West Lauderdale star Ryan Lane earned his first collegiate save for MCC and picked up four strikeouts in the effort.

Brady Chambley (0-1) suffered the loss on the mound for the Indians by working four innings and finishing with one strikeouts.

MCC finished the game with 13 hits as a team, while ICC had nine hits in the loss. Sophomore Goose Yates led the charge for MCC by going 3-for-4 and four different players in the MCC lineup finished with two hits apiece. Matt Berler, Michael Druhan, Kyle Bayles, and Andrew Crook each had a pair of hits in the two-run victory.