Lady Wolves Sweep Doubleheader at Hinds JUCO Classic

BRANDON, Miss. – The Co-Lin Softball team returned to action with a doubleheader at the Hinds JUCO Classic on Saturday, February 26. The Lady Wolves swept the day as they won their first game against No. 9 Parkland College, 5-1, and then beat Calhoun Community College, 7-2.

Game One

The game was scoreless through the first four and a half innings with neither team being able to take advantage of early scoring opportunities then Parkland broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fifth with their only run of the game to take a 1-0 lead.

However, the lead would be short-lived as the Lady Wolves responded with a pair of runs in the sixth inning as Shelbi Maxwell (Wesson) hit a one-out single then stole second. After a strikeout out two outs on the board, Malori Cade (Brookhaven) took a 3-2 pitch and smashed it to right field for two-out two-run home run to take the lead at 2-1.

The final three runs for the Lady Wolves came in the top of the seventh as Maddie Weeks (Clinton) reached on an error and advanced to second on the play. Weeks then scored on a double by Madalyn Wilkinson (Madison) who then scored as Cera Blanchard (Metairie, La.) reached on an error. Blanchard was then lifted for a pinch runner as Mary Ansley Chrestman (Cleveland) entered in the game, stole second and third base, and then scored on a single by Maxwell to make the score 5-1.

Parkland got two runners on with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but back-to-back groundouts ended the inning and sealed the 5-1 win for the Lady Wolves.

Shelbi Maxwell was the only member of the Lady Wolves with a multi-hit game as she went 2-for-4 while Madi Miller (Brookhaven), Maddie Weeks, Madalyn Wilkinson, and Malori Cade all had one hit each with Wilkinson having one double while Cade had one home run. Wilkinson, Maxwell, and Cera Blanchard had one RBI each while Cade had two RBIs while the Lady Wolves also had seven stolen bases with Miller, Maxwell, and Mary Ansley Chrestman swiping two each while Blachard had one.

Cera Blanchard got the start in the circle for the Lady Wolves and picked up the win to improve to 4-1. In the complete game effort, Blanchard allowed one unearned run on four hits with five strikeouts and one walk.

Game Two

The Lady Wolves wasted no time in scoring early during their game against Calhoun Community College as they scored one run in the bottom of the first. Madi Miller hit a lead-off triple and the scored on a sacrifice fly by Faith Kivett (Tallulah, La.) to make the score 1-0. The Lady Wolves then increased their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second as Shelbi Maxwell hit a one-out single and then advanced to third on a double by Malori Cade. Maxwell and Cade then scored on a two-RBI double by Megan Loyd (Brandon) making the score 3-0.

The Lady Wolves added a single run in the fourth inning as Maxwell hit a lead-off double, stole third, and then later scored on a dropped third strike play to make the score 4-0. The lead for the Lady Wolves increased to 6-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning as Miller hit a lead-off single while Kivett followed up with drawing a walk. Both runners advanced to third and second respectively on a passed ball then Miller scored on a sacrifice fly by Maddie Weeks while Kivett later scored on a passed ball.

Calhoun scored one run in the top of the sixth making the score 6-1. However, the Lady Wolves got the run back as they scored one run in the bottom half of the inning as Skyler Speights (Monticello) took one swing of the bat and deposited a solo home run to left field and give the Lady Wolves a 7-1 lead.

Calhoun scored one run in the top of the seventh and threatened to score more, but a fly out in foul territory ended the game and sealed the 7-2 win for the Lady Wolves giving them a sweep for the day.

Madi Miller and Shelbi Maxwell both had multi-hit games for the Lady Wolves as they both went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Madalyn Wilkinson, Malori Cade, Skyler Speights, Megan Loyd, Julianna Frazier (Bogue Chitto) all had one hit each during the game. Maxwell, Cade, and Loyd all had one double each, while Miller had one triple, and Speights had one home run. Faith Kivett, Maddie Weeks, and Speights collecting one RBI each while Loyd had three RBIs.

Belle West (Byram) got the start for the Lady Wolves and improved to 4-0 on the season. West pitched six innings allowing one run on seven hits with three strikeouts. Alli Albritton (Summit) pitched one inning of relief allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout.

Co-Lin is now 8-2 overall and the Lady Wolves will return to action with a doubleheader against Southern Arkansas University Tech on Thursday, March 3 with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.