By Staff
March 18, 2001
By Will Price
Special to The Star
It was a good day of baseball for the Meridian High Wildcats, who took two games at John Moss Field Saturday, defeating Starkville 9-7, and beating Melrose, Tenn. 12-2.
The junior varsity also beat Starkville 9-1, to improve to 3-0-1.
Torry Bates picked up the Starkville win and ran his record 1-1, while Tyler Maxwell hurled the Melrose game and is now 2-2 on the year.
Meridian had nine runs on 11 hits and three errors, while Starkville had seven runs on seven hits, and committed three errors.
In the Melrose game, the Wildcats had 12 runs on 12 hits and an error. Melrose had two runs on two hits and two errors.
The Wildcats improved to 10-6 on the season, and will travel to Wayne County Tuesday for a key Division 5-5A game. Junior varsity starts at 5 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7 p.m.
Meridian 9, Starkville 7: Richmond Alexander went 3-for-3, with two walks, John Stevens was 3-for-5, Andy Slayton 2-for-2 with two walks and Rickey McMillian connected for the first Wildcat home run of the season.
The Yellow Jackets took a one-run lead in the first before the Wildcats tied it in their half, when Alexander singled and later scored.
The Yellow Jackets got three in the second, but the Wildcats responded with two more on scores from Alexander and Greg Harris.
The Cats then plated McMillian, Harris and Maurice Cole in the third to pull ahead 6-4.
Starkville added a run in the next frame, but the Wildcats went by up 8-5, when McMillian and Harris crossed home plate again.
The Yellow Jackets other two runs came in the fifth and seventh innings. Harris scored the Wildcats final run in the fifth and MHS held on.
Meridian 12, Melrose 2: The Golden Wildcats from Tennesee got both of their runs in the first inning, when Kevin Burrus hit a two run homer.
Alexander again went 2-for-3, while Sanduan Dubose, Bates, McMillian, and Slayton all had doubles. Kris Barnett, went 2-for-3 with a home run.
John Stevens and Dubose tied the game for the Cats in the first inning. Dione Hampton and Slayton made it 4-2 in the second. The Wildcats added two more in the fourth when Alexander and Harris made it home safely.
Barnett and Quentin Warren scored in the fifth. The Wildcats' final four runs came in the sixth, when Tyler Singleton and Michael Collins came home on Barnett's home run, and with the bases loaded, a walk to Harris brought in Warren for the final margin of victory.