Bulldogs drop pair at No. 5 Meridian

Mississippi Gulf Coast dropped a pair of games Tuesday at second-place Meridian, but the Bulldogs still clung to a lifeline into the postseason. The race for playoffs will come down to the final doubleheader.

The Bulldogs dug big holes in both contests but made a game of the first one only to lose 9-8 when the tying run was thrown out at the plate. The fifth-ranked Eagles won the second 14-6 to end a marathon day.

Gulf Coast (18-26, 11-15 MACCC) is tied with East Mississippi (23-23, 11-15) for ninth in the conference standings, the last spot that advances. The Bulldogs close their regular season at sixth-place Northeast Mississippi, while the Lions travel to Decatur to play No. 15 East Central.

The playoff scenarios are complex with Northwest Mississippi and Mississippi Delta a game behind, but a Gulf Coast sweep Friday would almost certainly clinch a playoff spot.

Meridian led the opener 8-0 after five innings, but Gulf Coast got RBI singles from Kade Carpenter (So., Vancleave/Vancleave) and Ty Mancha (Fr., Albuquerque, N.M./Mobile Christian) in the seventh.

Jayden Mark (Fr., Petal/Petal) drove in two runs with a single in the eighth, and Mancha got plunked with the bases loaded to make it 8-5.

After Meridian got a solo homer in its at-bat, the Bulldogs mounted a two-out rally. Mark singled in two more runs, and Mancha walked with the bases loaded to make it 9-8.

But a pitch to the next batter that got away from the catcher didn't get away far enough, and the tying runner trying to score from third was thrown out.

Mark had three hits and four RBI, while Mancha had two hits and three RBI. Gulf Coast outhit Meridian 12-9, but made seven errors.

In the second game, Meridian scored nine runs in the first two innings. Marc Stephens (Fr., Orange Beach, Ala./Gulf Shores) doubled in a run in the third, and Mark plated two more with a double after a run scored on a wild pitch. Amiri Williams (Fr., Long Beach/Long Beach) made it 9-5 with an RBI single.

Williams drew a one-out, bases-loaded walk in the fifth, but the next batter grounded into a double play to end the threat.

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