MCC Baseball Sweeps Past Hinds

From School Reports

The Meridian Community College baseball team opened the 2016 portion of its MACJC schedule on Wednesday afternoon with a doubleheader at Scaggs Field against the defending MACJC State Champions, the Hinds Community College Eagles. MCC made a huge statement to open conference play by sweeping past the visiting Eagles by final scores of 14-4 and 3-1.

MCC is now 17-1 overall and 2-0 in league play, while Hinds dropped to 9-9 overall and 2-2 in conference action. The two victories for MCC over Hinds on Wednesday also extended its current winning streak for the 2016 season to 12 games. MCC will return to the diamond this Saturday with a pair of conference games at Scaggs Field against Co-Lin Community College beginning at 2 p.m.

MCC got the day started off with a huge bang in Game One with a run-rule shortened 14-4 victory over Hinds. MCC finished the game with 16 total hits and held Hinds to just six total hits as a team.

Freshman Luke Criag led MCC at the plate in Game One with three hits and drove in two runs, while Matt Berler had a pair of RBI singles for the Eagles. Baylor Obert also turned in a solid day at the plate by driving in a pair of runs on two base hits and Blake Fields also had an RBI double in the victory. JD Gann and Nate Romans each drove in two runs apiece, while Jaylon Keys collected an RBI on two singles.

Sophomore Hunter Mullis picked up the pitching win in  Game One for MCC by working 5 2/3 innings and notching six strikeouts. Freshman Spencer Price was also credited with a save out of the bullpen and checked in with four strikeouts in his relief performance.

MCC got a great combined pitching performance in Game Two from Kyle Bayles and Ryan Lane to squeeze out a 3-1 victory over Hinds to complete the home sweep. Bayles worked five innings, allowed one earned run, three hits, and collected four strikeouts. Lane, a former West Lauderdale star, picked up the two-inning save for the Eagles and notched three strikeouts.

MCC finished Game Two with seven total hits and Bayles helped his own cause by driving in one run in the game on an RBI single. Luke Craig added an RBI single and Baylor Obert drove in the third run of the game on a double in the sixth inning.