Eagles Split with No. 10 Itawamba, Knock Off Top-10 Team in Game Two
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
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2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 7 | 8 | 0 |
MERIDIAN, Miss. — Meridian Community College softball battled one of the nation's top teams Saturday afternoon, splitting a MACCC doubleheader with No. 10 Itawamba at Tommy McDonald Field. The Eagles dropped the opener 4-0 before responding with a 7-3 victory in game two.
The split moves Meridian to 17-14 overall and 3-3 in conference play, while Itawamba falls to 23-5 overall and 5-1 in MACCC action, suffering its first conference loss of the season.
Game One – Pitchers' Duel Goes to Itawamba
The Eagles struggled offensively in the opener against Itawamba ace Ramsey Montgomery, who threw a complete-game shutout with 14 strikeouts.
The Indians got on the board early with a run in the first inning off a fielder's choice. Meridian's defense held firm through the middle innings as Willa Simmons delivered a strong outing in the circle.
Itawamba added another run in the fifth on a double and tacked on two more in the sixth to secure the 4-0 victory.
Simmons went the distance for the Eagles, pitching seven innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out one.
Offensively, Meridian managed two hits in the contest, coming from Raegan King and Allie Loftin.
Game Two – Eagles Respond with Offensive Surge
Meridian bounced back in game two, snapping Itawamba's five-game winning streak and handing the Indians their first conference loss.
The Eagles struck early, scoring two runs in the first inning on RBI singles from Mollie Mitchell and Hannah Buckley.
Meridian broke the game open in the third inning, plating four runs. Allie Loftin drove in three runs following an error by the Itawamba centerfielder, and Montgomery Boleware added another RBI with a single.
Mitchell extended the Eagles' lead to 7-0 in the fourth inning with a solo home run — her sixth of the season.
Itawamba managed two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh, but Meridian closed the door to secure the 7-3 win.
Chelsea Regan delivered a standout performance in the circle for Meridian, pitching six innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out three. Isabella White entered in the seventh inning to finish the game.
With the victory, Meridian now has five wins this season over teams ranked in the NJCAA Top 20.
Head Coach Brad Grinstead praised his team's effort against one of the nation's top programs.
"I'm proud of the way our team fought all day," Grinstead said. "Knocking off a top-10 team at home shows the work these players have been putting in. It's a testament to where this program is headed."
Meridian will continue MACCC play Wednesday when the Eagles host Southwest for a conference doubleheader at 2 p.m.
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