Lady Eagles Sweep Season-Opening Doubleheader at Tommy McDonald Field
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 3 |
|
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2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | X | 8 | 8 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
|
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0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
MERIDIAN, Miss. – The Meridian Community College softball team opened the 2026 season in impressive fashion Wednesday afternoon, sweeping a season-opening doubleheader against Coastal Alabama North at Tommy McDonald Field. The Lady Eagles claimed an 8–3 victory in game one before closing the day with an 8–0 run-rule win in six innings in game two.
Meridian found itself trailing early in the opener before answering quickly in the bottom of the first inning. Sophomore Presley Black drove in sophomore Hannah Buckley to score the first run of the season and tie the game at 1–1. Moments later, freshman Alex Layfield electrified the crowd by launching a solo home run in her first collegiate at-bat, giving the Lady Eagles a 2–1 lead.
The offense continued to roll in the second inning as Buckley delivered a two-run hit to extend the advantage to 4–1. Coastal Alabama North responded with two runs in the third, but sophomore Mollie Mitchell answered immediately with an inside-the-park home run, pushing Meridian back in front 5–3.
An error by the Lady Coyotes allowed another run to score in the fourth, and Meridian took advantage of additional miscues in the sixth inning to plate two more runs and secure the 8–3 win. Freshman Isabella White earned the start in the circle, striking out five batters, while freshman Willa Simmons came on in relief to close out the game.
Game two belonged to Meridian from the start. Sophomore Hannah Capello was dominant in the circle, striking out 10 batters while holding Coastal Alabama North scoreless.
After two quiet innings, Mitchell struck again in the third with a two-run inside-the-park home run, her second of the day. A pair of defensive miscues helped Meridian add two more runs in the inning to take a 4–0 lead.
The Lady Eagles broke the game open in the sixth inning. White showcased her power with a no-doubt solo home run to left field, and Mitchell drove in the final runs of the game to give Meridian the eight-run cushion needed to end the contest via the run rule, 8–0.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead was pleased with his team's opening performance.
"I thought we played well overall to start the season," Grinstead said. "There are always a few mental mistakes early that we'll clean up, but our offense was strong and I was really happy with what we saw in the circle."
The Lady Eagles will now travel to Youngsville, La., to compete in the Mardi Gras Classic on Thursday and Friday. Meridian will face Gulf Coast State at 5 p.m. and Angelina College at 7 p.m. on Thursday, before closing the weekend Friday against Kilgore at noon.
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