By By Robby Atkinson / staff writer
March 24, 2004
The monkey is finally off the back of the Meridian Community College Lady Eagles.
MCC entered its doubleheader with Wallace-Hanceville on Tuesday afternoon at Northeast Park winless this season with 17 straight losses, but Tuesday was the day for the Lady Eagles' first win.
After dropping a 9-2 decision in game one to the Lady Lions, Meridian battled back in game two to take a 5-1 win over Wallace-Hanceville to salvage a split.
After the first win of the 2004 season, MCC head coach Robert Eakins pointed out how his team was able to come together to win.
MCC (1-18) set the tone of the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead over Wallace-Hanceville in the nightcap. Sheena Evans led the game off by reaching first base on a walk and Raleigh Odom followed by reaching on an error by the infield to put a pair of runners aboard.
Both runs eventually scored as Melissa Stewart made a careless throw from third base that allowed both runs to cross the plate to give MCC a 2-0 lead.
The Lady Lions fought back to score one run in the second inning to cut the score to 2-1. Brooke Odom led the second inning off with an infield single and crossed the plate moments later on a single from Anna Parker to draw Wallace-Hanceville to within one run at 2-1.
MCC was quiet on offense until the sixth inning when the Lady Eagles struck for three runs to extend the lead to 5-1. Nikki McClasky led the inning off by reaching on another error by Stewart at third and came around to score on an RBI single by Stephanie Choo to make the score 3-1.
Evans also delivered a huge single in the inning to make the score 4-1. Courtney Gray drove in the final run of the afternoon on a sacrifice fly to left to give MCC a long-awaited win.
Choo (1-14) took the win on the mound for the Lady Eagles by pitching seven strong innings and collecting three strikeouts.
Wallace 9
MCC 2
The Lady Lions scored four runs in the fifth inning to run away with the seven-run win over the Lady Eagles.
Wallace-Hanceville scored the first two runs of the game in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead over MCC.
MCC avoided the shutout in the fifth inning with two runs, one of which scored on a single by Choo.
Meridian hosts Shelton State on Thursday at 4 p.m.