Meridian takes 5A playoff victory
By By Jeff Byrd/sports editor
April 26, 2003
In a tightly wound 5A playoff game, a timely smash lifted Meridian High to a 4-3 win over Hattiesburg here Friday night at John Moss Field.
Lance Burnham ripped a hard-hit ball off the feet of Hattiesburg first-baseman Ryan Eyles in the bottom of the sixth inning in the opening game of the second round Class 5A series.
The ball spun off Eyles' foot into foul ground allowing Kimone McDade and courtesy runner Justin Baylor to score erasing a 3-2 Hattiesburg lead and putting Meridian ahead 4-3.
Wildcat ace Tyler Maxwell needed just six pitches to retire Hattiesburg in order in the seventh to nail down the victory. Meridian now heads to Hattiesburg's Smokie Harrington Park for game two of the series set for 7 p.m. tonight.
Meridian head coach Vince McLemore credited his batters for executing in key situations.
Hattiesburg head coach Larry Knight expected a tight contest.
The two teams were tied up at 2-2 heading to the sixth when Hattiesburg's Ray Fitzpatrick led off with a single. He later advanced to second when Meridian's attempt at a pickoff play from home went awry.
The Tigers then took the lead when a ground ball got past shortstop Richmond Alexander for an error off the bat of Marcus Spann.
Spann then went to second on a perfect bunt hit by Eyles to put two on with no out.
Maxwell came back to fan Jermaine Jackson for one out. He then got Reggie Lee to hit into a fielders choice at third where Tyler McMullen stepped up the bag to retire Spann. The third out came when Eyles was picked off second by Maxwell leaving the score at 3-2.
Meridian led off its sixth with McDade getting a single up the middle. Bobby Stone then walked to put two runners on for Burnham.
Meridian took a 1-0 lead in the first inning off a leadoff double by Alexander followed by a one-out hit from Maurice Cole.
Hattiesburg bounced back with a two-run homer by Percy Pittman in the top of the third. The bomb brought in Lee who had led off with a walk.
Meridian tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when Alexander walked, went to third on an error, and then scored on a two-out hit by McDade.
Maxwell scattered seven hits in gaining his 10th win in 11 decisions for the now 27-5 Wildcats. He struck out six.
Kobs went 6 2/3 innings to take the loss. He allowed eight hits and struck out three.
McDade and Tyler McMullen had two hits each to lead Meridian.
Hattiesburg, who falls to 21-8, got two hits from Gregory Alexander.
