Wolves on wrong end of two one-run games

Wolves on wrong end of two one-run games

RAYMOND, Miss. – The Copiah-Lincoln Community College Wolves dropped two heart breakers to Hinds last night as Co-Lin battled with the Eagles in Raymond. Hinds escaped the games with a 4-3 walk-off win in game one and an 8-7 back-and-forth victory in the second game. The two losses move the Wolves to 21-18, 12-14 on the year and improve Hinds to 25-16, 13-13. The Wolves' final regular season series is set for this Friday, May 3 as Co-Lin host Meridian at Sullivan Field. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 3 p.m. and the games can be watched live at colinathletics.com/general/live_stream. Co-Lin's sophomore players will also be recognized before the game for their last homestand.

Game One

Hinds took an early 2-0 lead in the opener as a sacrifice fly in the first and an RBI single in the second put the Eagles in control.

The Wolves bounced back in the top of the third with Trey Frierson leading off with a single. Joshua Day drew a walk to get two aboard with no outs. Ryan Zimmerman moved the to players to scoring position before an error on a groundball from Brooks Italiano plated the two runners. Thomas Slagle kept the inning alive with a single, and Justin Johnson laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to score Italiano. In the middle of the third, Co-Lin led by one, 3-2.

The contest turned into a pitching duel over the next several frames until Hinds hit a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh. The homer tied the game at 3-3.

The Wolves were unable to push across any runs late in the game and going into the bottom of the ninth the game was still knotted at three-all. The Eagles got two on after both players were hit by pitch in the final frame. Hinds' John Bolton roped a single to score the go-ahead run and secure the 4-3 victory for the Eagles.

Co-Lin posted four hits in the contest with Day, Frierson, Slagle, and Mark Hubbard each collecting one. Italiano led the team with two RBIs.

Zach Smith took the loss for Co-Lin on the bump. He went one and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on one hit and walking zero, while Konner Allen got the start. Allen went seven innings, allowing three runs on ten hits, striking out three and walking zero.

Game Two

Hinds once again had a good start in the second game as a pair of RBI doubles put the Eagles on top 2-0. An RBI single later in the bottom of the first grew the lead to 3-0.

Justin Johnson got one back for the Wolves in the top of the second. The freshman led off the inning and was hit by a pitch to get aboard. He advanced to third on an Allen single and eventually scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-1.

After a double play and a fly out in the bottom of the second, Day led off the top of the third with a single. Italiano moved Day to second with a groundout and Slagle drove him in with a single to left field. The productive inning put Co-Lin just one back, 3-2.

Hinds broke the game open in the bottom of the third with a three-run homer from Walker Burchfield. The shot put the Eagles in the lead 6-2. Hinds grew that lead to 7-2 in the bottom of the fourth with a sac fly.

The Wolves refused to give in and roared back in the top of the fifth with a five-run frame. Zimmerman drove in Frierson, who reached on an error, with a single and Italiano pushed in another with an RBI groundout. Zimmerman and Johnson both capitalized on wild pitches to score from third and Allen, who reached on a walk, scored later in the inning on an error. The big inning knotted the game at 7-7 going into the bottom of the fifth.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, the Eagles drew a walk to grow their lead to 8-7, a score that would hold until the end of the game.

Hubbard led the Wolves with two hits, while Zimmerman, Landry McQueen, Slagle, Allen, and Day each had one. Italiano, Slagle, and Zimmerman led Co-Lin with one RBI each.

Jay Smith took the loss for Co-Lin on the mound as he allowed one hit and one run over two-thirds of an inning, striking out two and walking zero.

Conner Ingram got the nod to start the game. The sophomore allowed eight hits and six runs over two and a third innings, striking out one and walking one. Day, Clint Emmons, Thomas Smith, and Bryce Henry all saw action on the mound in relief in game two.