By Staff
From staff reports
July 24, 2002
LAKE VILLAGE, Ark. The Meridian Cal Ripken 10-year-olds defeated Little Rock 10-5 here on Tuesday afternoon, only to fall to Pine Bluff (Ark.) 11-1 later that night.
The loss eliminated Meridian from the double-elimination Southwest Regional, but the local team did come away with a third-place finish.
In the opener Meridian went into the bottom of the fourth trailing 4-2, but scored four runs in that inning and four more in the fifth on the way to the 10-5 win.
Joey Lawn, LaColtan Jackson and Matt Ware combined for a five-hitter on the mound to eliminate Little Rock.
Caleb Melton had two singles and two RBIs at the plate for Meridian in the game, while Michael Sterling and Ty Edmonds had two singles and an RBI each.
Former Meridian High School and Delta State University head baseball coach Bill Marchant was in attendance at the game to support the Meridian squad.
The first inning of the second game was a tough one for Meridian.
Pine Bluff used six walks and two Meridian errors to score seven runs in the top of the first and the Meridian squad just couldn't recover from playing back-to-back games in 100 degree heat.
Pine Bluff scored two more in the second and two more in the fourth to go up 11-0, before Meridian scored a run in the bottom of the fourth.
Claude Johnson threw a one-hitter for Pine Bluff. Meridian's Michael Sterling had that hit.
Members of the Meridian team are Michael Sterling, Davis Tucker, Lane Hilliard, Caleb Melton, Witt Haggard, Allen Massingil, Daniel Finan, Sam Daniel, LaColtan Jackson, Andrew Blaine, Joey Lawn, Matt Ware and Ty Edmonds.
Austin Bishop