MCC Opens Rush Tournament With Split

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College baseball team opened play on Saturday in the 2016 Rush Invitational Tournament and came away with mixed results. The Eagles concluded play in the tournament with a doubleheader split (13-12, 3-8) against Jefferson College and in the process suffered its first defeat of the 2016 season. MCC is now 5-1 overall after the split, while Jefferson College moved its record to 1-1 for year.

The Rush Invitational Tournament will finish on Sunday afternoon with a pair of games featuring Jefferson College and Jones County Junior College beginning at noon. MCC will return to the diamond next Saturday (February 20) in a doubleheader at Scaggs Field against Jeff Davis beginning at 1 p.m.

MCC needed all the offense it could muster in Game One on Saturday by slipping past Jefferson College by a final count of 13-12. MCC finished the opening game with 20 total hits, while Jefferson College tallied 14 hits. Jaylon Keys led MCC offensively at the plate in Game One with four hits and one RBI which came on a triple. Freshman JD Gann had a great day at the plate with three hits and three RBI’s, while catcher Dalton Smith added a pair of base bits and a pair of RBI’s. Sophomore Kyle Bayles finished the game with a pair of RBI’s and a homer, while Nate Romans joined the hit parade with a pair of doubles.

Sophomore Colby Shaw (1-0) picked up the pitching win for MCC in relief by working 3 2/3 innings and collecting three strikeouts. Freshman Spencer Price was able to collect his first collegiate save by closing out the ninth inning. Former Neshoba Central star Austin Harrison drew the start on the mound in Game One and pitched four innings and notched a pair of strikeouts.

MCC couldn’t overcome an early deficit in Game Two and fell to Jefferson College by a final score of 8-3. MCC only managed four total hits in its first loss of the 2016 season at the hands of Jefferson College.

Freshman catcher Blake Fields led the offensive effort in Game Two with a two-run double, while Eason Weeks added an RBI single. Nate Romans and JD Gann each added a single apiece in the Game Two loss.

Former West Lauderdale star Ryan Lane (1-1) suffered the loss on the mound for MCC in Game Two by working four innings, collecting six strikeouts, surrendering six walks, and allowing one earned run.