McMullen baffles Forest, Wildcats notch victory

By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
March 17, 2004
DECATUR Tyler McMullen may have preferred to spend his Spring Break on a beach, but he looked plenty comfortable on the mound.
Meridian's sophomore right-hander threw a five-inning shutout against Forest on Tuesday, allowing just three hits in a 10-0 Wildcats win in the semi-finals of the Spring Break Tournament at East Central Community College.
With the win, the Wildcats advanced to the tournament's championship game today at 5:30 p.m., they will face Neshoba Central.
Meridian first got on the scoreboard in the third inning when Steven Boyd came home on a sacrifice fly hit by Kedric Martin. McMullen reached base on a fielding error one of three Forest miscues in the third inning and scored with two outs.
The Wildcats scored eight runs in the bottom of the fourth to go up by 10, and McMullen worked a scoreless fifth inning to complete the shutout, which ended early by virtue of the 10-run rule.
Forest nearly got out of the inning with a single-digit deficit, but Meridian sophomore Clark Bullock reached base with two outs after Forest's catcher dropped a third strike. A runner scored on the play.
Junior Chris Harris scored the Wildcats' 10th run moments later, sprinting home from third base on a wild pitch.
Harris hit a single and an RBI double during the Wildcats' offensive outburst, and he scored twice in the fourth inning. Harris finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate.
Meridian, which has had trouble finishing off opponents late in games, scored three runs after Forest collected its second out of the inning.
The win over Forest was Meridian's seventh straight. The Wildcats are now 10-3.