Pucheu’s three-hit nightcap shutout gives EMCC Lions road baseball split with Meridian

MERIDIAN – Jacques Pucheu's three-hit nightcap shutout keyed East Mississippi Community College's doubleheader road split with Meridian Community College during Tuesday's MACJC baseball action at Scaggs Field.  Preceding the Lions' 5-0 blanking of MCC, the home-standing Eagles erased a four-run deficit to claim a 7-6 comeback victory in the opener.

After seeing their 6-2 lead dissipate over the final three frames of the nine-inning opening contest, the Lions responded in the nightcap by giving Pucheu all the run support he would need with a three-run second inning.  Following Taylor Stafford's team-leading fifth home run of the year, EMCC took advantage of Hunter Mullis' four walks in the inning to push across two more runs and take an early 3-0 lead.  Austin Lowther's two-out RBI single also contributed to the frame.

While Pucheu seemed to get stronger as the game progressed, the visitors plated another run in the fifth when Jo McNabb doubled to lead off the inning and came around to score on Emil Ellis' base hit.  EMCC added an insurance run in the seventh to account for the final margin.

Pucheu, a freshman left-hander, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first by fanning Eason Weeks and getting Baylor Obert to fly out.  After surrendering singles in the third and fourth innings, Pucheu did not allow a hit over the final three innings, including retiring the side in order during the final frame.  In improving to 2-3 on the year, the West Harrison High School product struck out six while navigating his way around six walks and a pair of hit-batsmen en route to the seven-inning, complete-game shutout.

The opening game also started out well for the visitors and current MACJC Pitcher of the Week Layton Dill.  A throwing error by Meridian shortstop Jaylon Keys to begin the top of the second opened the door for three EMCC runs.  Run-scoring singles by Alex Knight and Mike Farnell gave the Lions an early 3-0 lead.

EMCC reached Meridian starting pitcher Kyle Bayles for two more runs in the fifth following Farnell's double to begin the inning.  Ellis' infield hit brought home a run as did Whitt Davis' sacrifice fly.  After the Eagles got on the board by manufacturing solo tallies in the third and fifth innings off Dill, the visitors got a run back in the top of the seventh when Stafford's two-out triple was followed by Davis' RBI single to make the score 6-2.

However, that was the final offense generated by the Lions during the opener, as Meridian relievers Colby Shaw and Spencer Price combined to retire the last seven EMCC batters in order.   

Meridian's comeback began in the bottom of the seventh when back-to-back, two-out singles by Matt Berler and Bayles cut the deficit in half and chased Dill from the game.  The Eagles continued their momentum by getting into EMCC's bullpen during the latter innings.  After reaching Lion relievers Jay Booth and Whitt Davis for the game-tying pair of runs in the eighth on consecutive run-producing hits from Dalton Smith and Daniel Hill at the bottom of the lineup, MCC began the home half of the ninth with successive singles by Berler, Bayles and Luke Craig off Ryder Davis to complete the come-from-behind victory.

Coach Chris Rose's East Mississippi Lions, still even in conference play at 6-6 and 10-18 overall, will make their long-awaited home season debut by playing host to the Warriors of East Central Community College in a 1 p.m. Saturday doubleheader at Gerald Poole Field.  Because of the damage sustained to their home baseball facility during the Feb. 2 tornado outbreak that struck the Scooba campus, the Lions have had to play their first 28 games of the season away from home.