By By Tony Krausz & Austin Bishop / staff writers
Aug. 4, 2003
Meridian saw a five-run lead slip away as Little Rock (Ark.) rallied for an 8-6 win late Sunday night to eliminate the local squad from the Cal Ripken 11-Year-Old Southwest Regional in Eagle Pass, Texas.
Earlier in the day Meridian had rallied to take an 11-3 win over Central Louisiana. Meridian finished the 17-team tournament tied for seventh place with a 2-2 record.
Meridian scored five runs in the top of the first behind an RBI double by Witt Haggard, but gave up five in the bottom of the second. Meridian then regained the lead at 6-5 in the top of the second when Haggard singled and scored on Sam Daniel's double, but Little Rock scored two in the fourth and one in the fifth for the win.
Haggard had a double and single to lead Meridian, while Caleb Melton had two singles and Daniel and Michael Sterling had a double each.
In Sunday's first game, Daniel recorded three hits for Meridian in the team's game against Central Louisiana, but no hit may have been bigger than his shot in the fourth.
Trailing Central Louisiana 3-2, Daniel powered a two-run home run over the outfield wall off the opposition's relief pitcher and Meridian went on to claim an 11-3 victory in its third game at the Cal Ripken 11-Year-Old Southwest Regional tournament.
Daniel also recorded a single and double en route to his three-RBI performance in the victory.
On the mound, Sterling came into the game with one out in the second inning to effectively shut down Central Louisiana's offense.
Meridian's relief pitcher entered the game with his team trailing by three runs, and he kept the opposition off the scoreboard for 3.2 innings, allowing just two hits. Joey Lawn closed out the game in the sixth inning allowing no hits while striking out one to secure the win.
Melton notched three singles and two RBIs for Meridian, and Davis Tucker and LaColtan Jackson each added two singles.
Sterling, Haggard and Lane Hillard each hit doubles for Meridian in the win.