RAYMOND – Hinds Community College baseball swept Meridian Community College due to late game heroics by sophomore Robi Riggin (Raymond). The Eagles took game one when Riggin recorded a pinch-hit RBI single to run-rule Meridian in the seventh inning. In game two, Robi won the game in the eighth inning on a pinch-hit RBI-double.
 
Head coach Dan Rives praised his team's effort.
 
"As nice as it was to get two wins over a really good Meridian team, I was more proud of our effort and ability to keep fighting the entire day," Rives said. "We had a few instances where we fell behind, but we kept scratching and clawing, and as a coach, you love to see that. We had so many big performances throughout the day, but the bullpen efforts from Kendrick Bershell and John David Gunn, along with the two big hits from Robi Riggin really stuck out and allowed us to win those games."
 
Game one
 
A hot-hitting Meridian team would start the game off by grabbing a quick run in the first, but Hinds would take the lead in the bottom-half on a Vantrel Reed (Vicksburg) two-run homerun that scored Clay Benson (Monroe, LA).
 
The Eagles of Meridian kept scoring, putting up a three spot in the second and a two spot in the third, giving them a 6-2 lead going into the bottom of the third.
 
After being behind the eight-ball early in the nine-inning game, Hinds would respond in a big way in the bottom of the third inning by putting up six runs to take an 8-6 lead. Five of those six runs came on singles by Clayton Thurman (Vicksburg), Connor Chisolm (Madison), Justin Williams (Madison) and Clay Benson. Williams would come around to score the sixth run of the inning on an error.
 
Meridian and Hinds would be held scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. Kendrick Bershell (Vicksburg) came in to relieve starter Gage Bihm (Washington, LA) in the top of the third and brought the Meridian bats to a screeching hault. 
 
Meridian wouldn't get another run until the sixth, where they would put up two runs. But, the Eagles would score five in the bottom of the sixth and three in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Eagles would win by run-rule in the bottom of the seventh on a walk-off RBI single by Robi Riggin.
 
Game two
 
The Eagles jumped out to a four-run lead in the bottom of the first inning after starting pitcher Justin Williams worked a quick opening half-inning. Vantrel Reed brought in the first run with a sacrifice-fly to score Clay Benson. Josh Rodriguez (Belleville, NJ) would then single in Justin Williams. Lastly, Reed Kellum would hit his sixth homerun of the season to drive in two more runs.
 
Meridian would then score runs in five straight innings. The Eagles wouldn't get another run until the fourth inning when they put up two runs on a Benson triple and a passed ball.
 
In the sixth inning, the Eagles got one more run when Williams scored on a wild pitch.
 
The seventh inning featured a scoreless frame from John David Gunn (Clinton) and a three-run bottom-half by the Eagle offense. The three runs came on a three-run homerun by Williams that tied the game and sent it to extra innings.
 
After Gunn's relief effort, Holland Townes (Ridgeland) entered the game and shut Meridian down in the top of the eighth inning. Tate Duncan (Columbia) also made an appearance in game two on the mound alongside Williams, Gunn and Townes.
 
The Eagles would then walk-off for a second time behind the bat of Robi Riggin, who cashed in a double to score Clayton Thurman that sealed the deal 11-10 in the eighth.
 
Up next
 
Hinds continues their homestand on Saturday when they host Northwest Mississippi Community College in Raymond. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m. at Joe G. Moss Field.