Co-Lin falls to No. 4 Pearl River in two slugfests

WESSON, Miss. – Tuesday was a tale of two sides for the Wolves as Co-Lin had leads in both contests but ultimately fell to No. 4 Pearl River in both to move to 2-2 in MACJC play and 9-6 overall. Co-Lin had great bats throughout the day as the Wolves posted 15 hits. The Wolves also had several impressive pitching stents and played solid defense, but the power of PRCC's bats shined as the Wildcats launched eight home runs in the two games. Pearl River improved to 17-2, 4-0. The Wolves are back in action as Co-Lin travels to Senatobia to take on the Northwest Rangers on Saturday, March 23 at 2 and 5 p.m. Links for fans to follow along will be posted when they become available.

Game One

Game one was a heartbreaker for the Wolves as a 10-3 lead was erased by four big innings from the Wildcats to claim the 20-11 victory.

Pearl River lit up the scoreboard in the top of the first after Matt Taylor and Austen Izzio hit a pair of solo homers.

Kyle Fielder knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom half of the first with an inside the park home run that plated Ryan Zimmerman. The hard-hit line drive cleared PRCC's head and hit off the centerfield wall.

Brandon Brown was back on the hill in the top of the second and fanned three straight Wildcats to give the Wolves even more momentum. Co-Lin rode that energy in the bottom of the second as Landry McQueen drove in Austin Tidwell on a ground out. An error in center field allowed Clint Stephens' line drive to deep center to stretch from a double to an inside the park home run. The deep shot scored Houston Mims to grow Co-Lin's lead to 5-2.

Pearl River scratched one in the top of the third with an RBI single, but Tidwell homered in the bottom half of the frame to score Brooks Italiano, which put the Wolves up 8-3.

That lead continued to grow in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single from Joshua Day, and Mims kept the scoring streak alive in the fifth with an RBI double to plate Tidwell who reached on an error, which grew the lead to 10-3.

The Wildcat's bats came to life in the top of the sixth, after Izzio cleared the bases with a three-run triple after three consecutive walks to start the inning. Pearl River would follow with an RBI single and a three-run homer. The big inning put Pearl River back top 11-10.

The Wolves' final run came in the bottom of the sixth after Joshua Day stole home a double steal to knot the game at 11-11.

Pearl River kept the bats rolling in the seventh with an RBI double and another homer, followed by another long ball in the eighth, which put PRCC up 17-11. The Wildcats pushed in three more in the ninth to solidify the victory.

Brown started the game for Co-Lin. He surrendered five runs on five hits over five innings, striking out eight. Adie Goodman took the loss on the hill after he went two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs on four hits, striking out two and walking zero. Clint Emmons, Lane Hanna, Zach Smith, Brandon Brown, and Bryce Henry all made appearances on the mound for the Wolves.

Trace McNabb earned the victory for PRCC on the hill.

Zimmerman led the Wolves at the plate with three hits, while Fielder and Tidwell both had multiple hits. Tidwell led the team with three RBIs.

Game Two

The Wolves were first on the board in the nightcap as Zimmerman hit a sac fly to score Stephens who led off the bottom of the first with a walk. The Wolves grew that lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the second after Day roped a double to left with the bases loaded. The line drive hit off the top of the wall and was just one foot shy of a grand slam.

PRCC responded in the top of the third with a two-run homer from Noah Barron to cut the Wolves' lead to 4-2.

The Wildcats broke the game wide open in the top of the fifth with two more long balls including a grand slam from Reece Ewing. The big, six-run inning put the Wildcats on top 8-4. PRCC went on to score another in the top of the sixth on a double steal, which pushed the lead 9-4.

Zimmerman pushed McQueen home in the bottom of the seventh with a towering shot off the wall in the deepest section of Sullivan field to cut the lead to 9-5, but that would hold for the final.

Konner Allen took the loss for Co-Lin. He allowed six hits and eight runs over five innings, striking out seven.

Day led the Wolves at the plate with two hits and three RBIs.