A five-hit first inning led to an easy rout on senior night as Meridian downed Pearl 10-0 in five innings Tuesday night at Northeast Park. The Lady Wildcats received hits from nine different batters including two apiece from Alliejah Echols and Angel Spencer as Meridian out hit Pearl 11-3.

    “It’s always important to get out to an early lead,” Meridian head coach Ray Cook said. “We have a good bunch of seniors and they played hard. When we get out to an early start, we win a lot of ballgames.”

    A one-out walk by Amber Carter got things started for Meridian in the first inning as the heart of the Lady ‘Cats lineup came alive. Echols, Trayanna Carter and Regina Warren strung together three-straight hits to put Meridian up 2-0. Johnique Hopkins recorded a RBI ground out the next at bat, and the Lady ‘Cats followed with two-straight singles by Carlissa Hopkins and Angel Spencer to take a commanding 4-0 lead after one inning.

    The Lady ‘Cats continued to jump on Pearl in the second as Dayja Johnson and Miracle Dubose got on base to start the inning.  With runners on first and third, Carter rolled a soft grounder to second, but Pearl second baseman Taylor Stewart was unable to get the ball out of her glove allowing the run to score without recording an out. Echolls made the Lady Pirates pay during the next at bat lacing a single to the outfield to score both runners and put Meridian up 7-0.

    Hopkins would deliver later in the inning as she connected on a two-out RBI single to give Meridian its eighth run. Two batters later, Spencer scored Hopkins on another two-out single as the Lady ‘Cats led 9-0 after two frames. Echols brought home Dubose on a sacrifice fly in the third inning to give Meridian a 10-0 lead allowing the Lady ‘Cats to hold on for a mercy-rule win in the top of the fifth.

    Echols finished the game going two-for-two at the plate with four RBIs. Spencer was also two-for-two with two RBIs. Carter recorded the game’s only extra base hit with a double in the third inning.

    Meridian was just as dominating in the field allowing just three hits without committing an error on the night.

    The win wraps up district play for the Lady ‘Cats, who move to 13-12 on the year and 8-2 in District 5-6A. Meridian finished the year in second place to Brandon and will travel Brookhaven in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday, Oct. 15.

    “They did really well tonight,” Cook said. “I’ve seen players really step up and improve this year. I’ve seen them play hard.”