MERIDIAN, Miss. — As postseason hopes heat up, the Meridian Community College Eagles baseball team delivered a key conference sweep over East Mississippi Community College on Saturday, April 12, at Scaggs Field.
The day began with a moment of silence in memory of David Mote, a former Eagle and beloved member of the MCC baseball family. In a special tribute before game one, Foley Doggett, a freshman in MCC's Associate Degree Nursing Program and 2025 Miss Hospitality for Clarke County, threw out the ceremonial first pitch on a picture-perfect afternoon for baseball.
Pitching Shines For Meridian In Game One
The Eagles set the tone early, getting on the board in the first inning when Connor Gehr drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in a run. MCC never trailed.
Aiden Tuura picked up the win on the mound, throwing three scoreless innings with no hits, two strikeouts, and one walk. Gehr closed out the game in relief, pitching six innings and allowing just four hits and one unearned run while striking out 10 and walking one.
At the plate, Harlin Hovater led with two RBIs, going 1-for-4. Leadoff hitter Brennon Wright went 3-for-4, while Doby Bartling added a 2-for-3 performance. The Eagles also turned a double play defensively to keep momentum on their side.
Eagles Offense Powers Game Two
East Mississippi struck first with a solo homer in the opening frame, but MCC responded with a two-run single by Chris Fox in the second to take the lead. A sacrifice fly by Hovater in the third and a run-scoring double from Ethan Mallett in the fourth helped extend the Eagles' advantage. A wild pitch later that inning pushed the lead to 5-3. MCC added one more run for insurance.
Andrew Prejean earned the win after four innings of work, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two. Vaiden Ellis and Joel Smith each pitched shutout innings in relief to secure the win.
The offense was balanced, with Tyrus Williams, Wright, Bartling, Fox, and Mallett all collecting hits. Fox and Hovater each drove in two runs to help complete the sweep.
The Eagles hit the road for another crucial conference doubleheader on Tuesday, April 15, taking on Hinds Community College in Raymond. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
