By By Ryan Satcher / staff writer
April 2, 2002
The Meridian High Wildcats broke open a close game with five runs in the fifth and four runs in the sixth inning to run-rule visiting Clarkdale 12-2 in Monday night baseball action.
Meridian jumped out to an early 2-0 lead after the first inning. Richmond Alexander singled to start the inning and was able to steal second when the throw down was mishandled. He moved to third later in the inning and scored on a sacrifice fly by John Stevens to make the score 1-0.
Torry Bates followed with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch. It looked like the Bulldogs would get out of the inning when John Iverson popped up with two outs, but the popup was missed and fell to the ground allowing Bates to score and make the score 2-0 after an inning of play.
Clarkdale answered in the top of the fourth by striking for two runs to tie the game up. Justin Brewer reached on an error and Justin Hinson followed with a single. Brian May was hit with a pitch to load the bases. After a strikeout, Dusty Webb walked to bring in Brewer and cut the lead to one. Alex Tailor brought in Hinson with a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game 2-2. Kyle Boswell came in to pitch for the Wildcats and made a good play on a hard-hit ball up the middle to help Meridian get out of the inning with no more damage.
The Wildcats got the lead back in the bottom of the fourth. Tyler Maxwell walked with one out in the inning and stole second. He later scored when Maurice Cole fought off a good pitch and sent it to right for an RBI single.
Meridian broke the game open in the bottom of the fifth. Iverson doubled with one out in the inning. Pierre Henderson walked and Andy Slayton reached on an error to load the bases. Iverson scored when he broke for home on a squeeze and the pitch skipped in the dirt and past the Clarkdale catcher. Maxwell then singled in two more runs to make the score 6-2.
Bobby Stone was hit by a pitch to give Meridian runners at first and second. A double steal moved both runners up and Maxwell scored on a sacrifice fly by Alexander. With the score 7-2, courtesy runner Fernando Atterberry broke for home and scored when the pitch was not handled by the catcher and the Bulldogs trailed 8-2 after five innings.
The Wildcats finished off Clarkdale by scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bates doubled and Iverson reached when his flyball to left wasn't caught. Henderson got an infield single to load the bases. Slayton walked to bring in a run and Maxwell brought in another run with a sacrifice fly.
Stone reached base with a fielder's choice and Alexander hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 11-2. Chris Harris came up with his second hit of the game as he singled in Slayton to end the game by the 10-run rule and give Meridian a 12-2 win.
Boswell picked up the win for the Wildcats in relief while Brewer was the losing pitcher.
Meridian moves to 21-5 on the season and will host Natchez tonight at 6 p.m. in an important division matchup. Clarkdale falls to 8-13 and will host Choctaw Central for a doubleheader today at 5 and 7 p.m.