CLARKSDALE— The CCC baseball squad pushed the #2 team in the MACJC to the brink in 2 games yesterday, but came up just a little short. Meridian CC, who was in town for the final home doubleheader of 2015, managed to come back and pull out a thrilling 10-7 victory in Game 1 before holding on for a narrow 3-2 victory in Game 2. 

The Tigers took an early advantage over the Eagles on a 1st inning RBI double by Hudson Ross. Ross would pick up another RBI double in the 2nd just after Wesley Dew knocked in 2 with an RBI single of his own. The 2-3 hitters' early run-producing prowess helped build a 4-1 advantage for CCC starter Dustin Allen. 

Allen bent but refused to break against a Meridian squad that entered play as the league leader in both homeruns and doubles. He got the Eagles to strand 9 runners over the first 5 innings. 

With the lead under threat in the 5th, it was TJ Knowles' turn to step up. The center fielder singled with 2 outs in the frame to get the Tiger total up to 6 and the lead back up to a healthy 6-3.

Meridian would get 1 back in the 6th and 2 back in the 7th to tie the game at 6 before Braxton Wall knocked a base hit that scored Caleb Lindsey. Wall's RBI gave the the Tigers a 7-6 advantage heading into the penultimate inning.

In the eighth, the Eagles once again threatened. With the bases loaded and just one out, Andrew Crook sent an Adam McPhail delivery into right field. Darian Bester made the catch and then threw a strike to Hudson Ross to keep a tagging Dustin Smith from scoring from third to tie the game.

CCC clung to the one-run lead in the ninth, but the combo of Adam McPhail and Garrett Short could not hold down the MCC bats in the final frame. The Eagles touched up the Tiger relievers for 4 runs on 4 hits, an HBP, and a walk to take a 10-7 lead that they would not relinquish.

Hudson Ross and Caleb Lindsey each reached base 4 times for the Tigers in the game.

Game 2 was a pitchers' duel between Short and multiple MCC arms. Short was able to last into the 7th inning for the 5th time this year. The Southaven native surrendered 2 early runs but held the MCC squad to just 1 over the final 6 frames to give his bats a chance to win the game.

The Tiger attack got another run from Lindsey, who scored on a 3rd strike in the dirt in the 1st, and then got a leadoff double and a run scored from Adam Cook in the fourth to shave away at the MCC lead. They left 2 in scoring position after loading the bases with 1 out in the 5th, however, and they would not get any closer. Andrew Crook, who started the game in centerfield before moving to the mound, and Goose Yates, who started the game at 1st base, were able to silence the bats in the final innings and notch another Eagle win.

For MCC, who entered play tied with Northwest MS and East MS for 2nd place in the MACJC, it was their 18th conference win of the year. The loss dropped CCC to 6-34 overall and 4-20 in MACJC play.

The Tigers return to action with a trip to Jones County on Saturday. The doubleheader vs. the Bobcats in Ellisville will launch at 2 pm.

A live stream will be available on coahomasports.com/watch and/or mixlr.com/jzanaboni.