Baseball defeats Meridian in game one of MACJC tourney

5/7/2015 11:35:00 PM

Graham Ahlrich (33)

PHOTO GALLERY

The host Hinds Community College Eagles baseball team beat No. 19 Meridian Community College by the score of 6-2 on Thursday night to win the first game of the 2015 Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) state tournament.

With the win, the No.1 Eagles (39-5) are guaranteed a spot in next week's Region XXIII tournament in Eunice, La., and will now take on No. 20 Northwest Community College in Friday's winner's bracket game at 2:30 p.m. at Joe G. Moss Field in Raymond.

The Meridian loss puts them in tomorrow's loser's bracket game versus East Mississippi Community College at 11 a.m. The loser of this game is done for the season, while the winner locks up a spot in next week's regional and advances them to game five of the tournament on Friday night at 6 p.m.

Randy Bell (Woodville) moved to 11-0 on the season after throwing 6.2 innings and allowing only two runs (both earned) and one walk, while picking up six strikeouts and scattering eight hits.

Tyler Cox (Brandon) got the scoring going for the Eagles in the bottom of the second inning when he hit an opposite field double to score Marshall Boggs (Cleveland) and knot the game up at one apiece.

Quade Smith (Brandon) would later put the Eagles up for good, as his RBI single in the fifth inning put Hinds up 2-1. A bases loaded walk and a two RBI single from Boggs capped off a four-run fifth inning and advanced the Eagles lead to 5-1.

Jaylon Keys would hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning for Meridian, but Hinds responded immediately in the bottom half with a run of their own, as Matt Jones (Madison) drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to complete the scoring at 6-2.

Graham Ahlrich and Austin Sanders (both of Madison) were both flawless once again out of the Hinds bullpen, as the duo combined for 2.1 innings and allowed only one hit and no runs to cross the plate.

Boggs was 3-3 with two doubles, a walk and two RBI, while Kyle O'Keefe (Madison) was 3-4 with three singles to help lead the Hinds offense.

Game 1
Northwest 9, East Mississippi 7

In Thursday's early game, it was the Rangers of Northwest Community College who moved into the winner's bracket with a 9-7 victory over No. 15 East Mississippi Community College.

The Lions of East Mississippi (28-15) put up six runs in the second inning, but couldn't let the lead hold up and fell at the hands of Northwest (31-13).

LeeMarcus Boyd and Dalton Dulin led Northwest with two hits, while Blake Key and Corley Reynolds each picked up two hits for East Mississippi.

Colin Liles improved to 3-2 on the season after earning the win for Northwest, while Andrew Crane fell to 6-2 on the season for the Lions.

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Baseball defeats Meridian in game one of MACJC tourney

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