By Staff
NOT IN TIME n Gulf Coast's Tab Beadle beats a throw to Meridian's Temetric Thomas at second base Thursday. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Fredie Carmichael/Special to The Star
March 23, 2001
The visiting Bulldogs from Gulf Coast Community College exploded for five runs in the top of the eighth inning and escaped Scaggs Field with a 9-8 victory Thursday afternoon at Meridian Community College.
Leading 4-3 with seven innings in the book, MCC looked to close things out. But Gulf Coast took advantage of an Eagle miscue and finished the inning with a towering two-run homer.
After tying it at 4-4, the Bulldogs got two unearned runs thanks to an errant throw by Meridian shortstop Josh Raggio.
Raggio fielded a Tad Beadle grounder with runners at first and third and hurled a wild throw to first base that plated two Bulldogs. The next batter Randy Redmond jacked a two-run homer, capping off the five-run inning and the visitors were on top 8-4.
MCC failed to answer in its half of the inning while Gulf Coast added another run in the top of the ninth.
The Eagles weren't about to fold, though. MCC used three singles from Temetric Thomas, Travis Garner and Dustin Cliburn to load the bases when Robert Daggett stepped to the plate. Daggett, the former Lamar standout, belted a two-out grand slam over the left-field fence to make it 9-8.
The 18-8 Eagles ended a four-game winning streak with the loss and will travel to Delgado this weekend to start Miss-Lou conference play.
Cliburn led the way at the plate for the Eagles with a four-hit performance on three singles and a fourth-inning solo homer. Garner had three hits that included a single, double, and triple, while Antoin Gray contributed with a double and single.