Lady Wolves Sweep First Day at Sun Chief Classic

GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Co-Lin Softball team took to the road to compete as part of the Sun Chief Classic in the first of two days of games on Friday, February 18. The Lady Wolves swept the day as they beat No.12 (Division I) Chattanooga State, 5-0, in their first game and then needed two extra innings of play against Gulf Coast State (Fla.) to win 5-4 in nine innings.

Game One

The Lady Wolves took the lead early in the bottom of the first inning scoring two runs as Faith Kivett (Tallulah, La.) hit a one-out single and then scored on a triple by Maddie Weeks (Clinton) as Weeks later scored on a passed ball to make the score 2-0. The Lady Wolves added a single run in the second inning as Shelbi Maxwell (Wesson) hit a lead-off single and later scored on a single by Kivett making the score 3-0.

The final two runs for the Lady Wolves came in the bottom of the sixth as Maxwell hit a lead-off bunt single and Josie Meggs later reached on an error giving the Lady Wolves two runners on with one out. Maxwell then scored on a sacrifice by Madi Miller (Brookhaven) while Meggs scored on a single by Kivett making the score 5-0. A scoreless top of the seventh gave the Lady Wolves the 5-0 win.

Faith Kivett went 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Maddie Weeks and Shelbi Maxwell had two hits each with Weeks getting one RBI. Cera Blanchard had one double for the Lady Wolves. Blanchard also got the start in the circle and picked up her third win of the season (3-0). In the complete game effort, Blanchard allowed three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Game Two

The Lady Wolves faced an early deficit as the Lady Commodores of Gulf Coast State scored one run in the bottom of the first making the score 1-0. However, the lead was short-lived as the Lady Wolves responded with their first run of the game in the top of the second as Shelbi Maxwell hit a lead-off double and then scored on a single by Belle West (Byram) to tie the game at 1-1.

Despite multiple scoring opportunities for both the Lady Wolves and Lady Commodores, neither team could push across another run throughout the rest of the game sending the game into extra innings tied 1-1. The teams played under the international tiebreaker rules allowing the last out of the previous inning to be placed as a runner at second base. The Lady Wolves then went on to score two runs in the top of the eighth as Cera Blanchard was placed at second but then lifted for Josie Meggs as a courtesy runner. Maxwell drew a walk while Lila Blackburn (Red Bay, Ala.) reached base on an error to load the bases for the Lady Wolves. Back-to-back singles by Madi Miller and Faith Kivett scored Meggs and Maxwell giving the Lady Wolves a 3-1 lead.

The Lady Commodores responded with a pair of runs in the eighth inning to tie the game once again at 3-3. Maddie Weeks was placed at second as the runner for the Lady Wolves to start the top of the ninth as Madalyn Wilkinson drew a lead-off walk. Blanchard then reached on an error scoring Weeks while Wilkinson then scored on a sacrifice fly by Mary Ansley Chrestman (Cleveland, Miss.) making the score 5-3. The Lady Commodores scored on a single by their leadoff batter who was then thrown out trying to advance to second during the play. A fly out and ground out ended the inning and gave the Lady Wolves a hard-fought 5-4 victory.

Madi Miller was the only member of the Lady Wolves to collect multiple hits as she went 2-for-5 with one RBI. Faith Kivett, Maddie Weeks, Madalyn Wilkinson, Shelbi Maxwell, Lila Blackburn, and Belle West all had one hit each. Kivett, Blanchard, Mary Ansley Chrestman, and West also had one RBI each. Belle West also got the start for the Lady Wolves and improved to 2-0 with the win. In the complete game effort, West allowed two earned runs on nine hits with four strikeouts.

Co-Lin improves to 5-1 on the season. The Lady Wolves return to action with a second day of competition at the Sun Chief Classic facing off against Shelton State at 11:15 a.m., and Coastal Alabama East at 1:30 p.m.