Wildcats' playoff hopes still alive

By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
March 31, 2004
Kedric Martin made sure the Meridian High School baseball team remained in the hunt for a playoff spot on Tuesday night at Q.V. Sykes Ballpark.
The left-handed junior tossed a one-hit complete game against the Brandon Bulldogs (10-7, 3-2) to secure a 2-1 win in eight innings for the Wildcats (13-7, 3-2).
With the win, Meridian High needs a victory over Murrah on Tuesday and Brandon to lose to Northwest Rankin to earn a playoff berth.
Martin struck out 19 batters in the extra-inning game to improve his team-high strikeout total to 83 for the season.
The Wildcats pitcher allowed just four Bulldogs batters to reach base. He walked one, hit one with a pitch, another reached on a drop third strike and Brandon's Brian Leach hit a single.
As stellar as Martin's performance was on the mound, his biggest play came away from the pitching rubber.
With a Brandon runner on second and the scored tied at one in the top of the eighth, Bulldogs designated hitter Jeremy Houf laid a bunt down to the third-base side of the pitcher's mound.
Martin dove to his right to snag the grounder, and he threw the ball, while still laying on the ground to third baseman Tyler McMullen for the second out of the inning. Martin struck out the next out to end the inning.
McDade produced the game-winning hit in the bottom of the eighth, after striking out, grounding out and reaching base on an error in his first three trips to the plate.
The senior left fielder blooped a single to right field over Brandon's second baseman with the bases loaded to bring home pinch hitter Lindsey Spinks, who led off the eighth with a single, for the winning run.
Meridian High center fielder Cordera Eason broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth inning with a double to left field that scored McMullen, who reached on a single.
But Brandon tied the game in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on Martin's walk to begin the inning.
Leach produced the Bulldogs's lone hit with a single to right field to score Billy Smith, who reached on a walk and advanced to second on a bunt, to tie the game at one.
Brandon pitcher Chris Johnson took the loss, after nearly matching Martin's performance pitch for pitch.
The Bulldogs right-hander gave up eight hits, struck out 13 and didn't issue a walk over eight innings of work.
Taylor Scarbrough went 2-for-3 for Meridian High, hitting a pair of singles, and Rodney Warren hit a single in the win.