POPLARVILLE, Miss. - The Meridian Community College Eagles opened Region 23 Tournament play in commanding fashion Monday afternoon, blanking Northwest Mississippi Community College 6-0 in a winner-take-all play-in game.

Seeded ninth, the Eagles outperformed the No. 8 Rangers behind a dominant outing on the mound and a balanced offensive attack. Three MCC pitchers — Vaiden Ellis, Peyton Fowler, and Connor Gehr — combined for the shutout, allowing no runs over nine innings.

Reliever Gehr earned the win after tossing five and two-thirds innings of scoreless baseball, giving up six hits, striking out five, and walking one. Ellis started the game, allowing only one hit and two walks in an inning and a third. Fowler sealed the deal with two innings of scoreless relief, striking out three and giving up three hits without issuing a walk.

Offensively, the Eagles wasted no time getting on the board. Brennon Wright drove in the first run in the opening inning with an RBI single. MCC added another in the third following a bases-loaded walk drawn by Nate Trochessett. The Eagles continued to apply pressure at the plate throughout the game, finishing with 12 hits and seven walks.

Trochessett led all batters with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Wright went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Gehr also contributed offensively, going 2-for-4. The Eagles showed poise on both sides of the field, playing clean defense without committing a single error. Harlin Hovater led the team with 11 defensive chances.

With the win, Meridian advances to the Region 23 Tournament double-elimination bracket, where they will face No. 1 seed and tournament host Pearl River Community College at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6. Other teams in the bracket include Mississippi Gulf Coast (No. 4) and Northeast Mississippi (No. 5).

Due to expected inclement weather throughout the week, fans are encouraged to follow updates and schedule changes through MCC Athletics' social media platforms and mcceagles.com.