Wolves open 2020 season with sweep over Mineral Area

WESSON, Miss. - On a perfect day for baseball, the Wolves of Copiah-Lincoln Community College started the 2020 season with a sweep over Mineral Area Community College of Missouri. Both games provided a lot of action with 30 combined hits between the squads, but Co-Lin plated the runs when they mattered the most on the way to two victories. 

In the fourth inning of game one, Justin Johnson scored Peyton Parker with an RBI single followed by Brooks Italiano reaching home safely on an error.  

After the Cardinals tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth the Wolves capitalized on a hit by pitch and walk that put runners on. Parker ripped a single up the middle to plate Josh Day. Marquez Hudson, who drew the walk, scored later in the inning on a passed ball to put the Wolves up 4-2. 

Parker led the Wolves in the first game with two hits, while Johnson, Trey Forsythe, and Cade Lowery posted one each. 

Caleb Rutledge got the start on the mound. He lasted three and two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits and one run while striking out six, while Cameron Hill threw one inning in relief. Hill gave up one hit and run with two strikeouts. Weston Acey closed out the game and earned the win after throwing two and one-third innings, giving up two hits while striking out four. 

Markus Ramos suffered the loss for Mineral Area. 

In the nightcap, the Cardinals struck early with a lead-off solo home run, but the Wolves bit back in the bottom of the second with a six-run frame. The runs came on a string of RBI singles from Hudson, Italiano, and Kylar Fielder along with a hit by pitch and a wild pitch. Mineral Area responded with one run in the third, but Co-Lin once again lit up the board with a stand-up RBI double from Clint Stephens that scored Landry McQueen. Forsythe also scored in the inning on a wild pitch. 

The Cardinals pushed in three more runs in the top of the sixth, but it was too late as the Wolves closed the game and secured the 8-5 victory. 

Day, Italiano, and Stephens all finished with two hits in the contest, led by Italiano's two RBIs. 

Caleb St. Martin got the start for Co-Lin on the bump, while Tucker Jones, Jay Smith, Rhett Blackburn, and Micah Parker all made appearances. Smith picked up the win after giving up one hit, one run, and striking out three. 

Scoring Recap

Game 1:

Top 4th | Brett Miller drives in German Sepulveda with RBI single.

Bottom 4th | Justin Johnson drives in Peyton Parker with line-drive single to center field.

Bottom 4th | Brooks Italiano scores on error.

Top 5th | Connor Hicks scores on wild pitch.

Bottom 5th | Peyton Parker singles on a line drive up the middle scoring Josh Day.

Bottom 5th | Marquez Hudson scores on a passed ball.

Game 2:

Top 1st | Ben Jones hits solo home run

Bottom 2nd | Marquez Hudson singles to short and scores Trey Forsythe.

Bottom 2nd | Peyton Parker is hit by pitch with bases loaded scoring Clint Stephens.

Bottom 2nd | Brooks Italiano singles to center and scores Marquez Hudson.

Bottom 2nd | Kylar Fielder single to right field and scores Peyton Parker.

Bottom 2nd | Brooks Italiano scores on wild pitch.

Top 3rd | Connor Hicks scores on a balk.

Bottom 3rd | Trey Forsythe scores on wild pitch.

Bottom 3rd | Clint Stephens drives in Landry McQueen on stand-up double to right.

Top 6th | Sean Cleary singles to center and plates Connor Hicks.

Top 6th |  Ryan LaPlante scores Dillon Thomas with infield single. 

Up Next

The Wolves travel to New Orleans, LA  on Wednesday, February 19 to face the Delgado Dolphins.