MARYVILLE – Regular. Season. Champs.
For the first time since 2007, Maryville claimed the league pennant with a 9-3 win over Piedmont here at Scotland Yard Thursday night.
The Scots' last championship came in the Great South Athletic Conference, while this time MC sits atop the Collegiate Conference of the South.
"I'm really proud of our guy's ability to put the first half of the season behind them," Maryville head coach
Clint Helton said. "When you start trusting each other and playing for your teammates, rather than chasing results, that's what got us to this point.
"Process over results, having fun when we're playing. The game is hard enough and it is just a game. We realized we played better when we have that mindset."
Maryville had a record of 8-9 coming into their first conference game against Belhaven on March 23. Since league play began, the Scots are 17-3, including a 13-game winning streak, its longest since at least 2012.
With MC's victory, the Scots are set to host the 2024 CCS Championship Tournament, scheduled for May 8-11.
This season, Maryville is 14-2 at home. During Helton's tenure as head coach (2020-present), Maryville is 61-20 within the friendly confines of Scotland Yard. The fifth-year coach knows the Scots have success at home but understands the nature of the conference tournament.
"We do play well at home," Helton acknowledged. "But it's conference tournament baseball. Anything goes in tournament baseball."
"Obviously sleeping in your own bed, not having to travel, is great for the team and being as comfortable as we are at home can be a really big difference."
It was Maryville baseball through and through on Thursday, as the Scots slugged their way to their 25th victory of the season. MC recorded 14 hits in the contest, marking the 13th time in its last 16 games that it has accomplished that feat.
Jimmy Meredith led the way in the hit department, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored. The senior was just a triple away from the cycle. His long ball was his first of the season and his first since April 16, 2022, at Covenant.
Joining Meredith on the multi-hit train were
Jacob Johnston,
Christian Carlton, and
Max Bowers with two knocks each. Johnston led the Scots with four RBIs, picking up two apiece on a double in the second inning and a single in the fourth. Bowers scored on both hits.
The bottom of the fourth was the turning point in the contest. Tied 3-3 heading into the bottom of the inning, Maryville scored five runs on five hits to push the lead to 8-3.
On top of Johnston's two RBIs, Meredith,
Zac Graham, and
Colin Dunworth each drove in a run in the frame.
Mitchell Grannan picked up his fourth win of the season allowing three runs (all earned) on seven hits while striking out five batters. The righty tied his season high of 63 strikeouts and now ranks fourth in the CCS in that category.
Xavier Resto picked up his team-high fifth save of the year, pitching four innings of no-hit baseball, closing out the game in dominant fashion. The sophomore struck out five batters while walking three. This outing marked his fourth no-hit appearance of the season, as he lowered his season ERA to 2.97 (13 ER/39.1 IP).
The Scots and Lions will face off again Friday afternoon, as Maryville looks to win its fifth straight CCS Series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
