Co-Lin, East Mississippi split doubleheader

WESSON – The Co-Lin Wolves and the East Mississippi Lions split a baseball doubleheader with the Wolves taking game one 6-5 and the Indians winning the nightcap 6-1.

"It was a tough split today," said Co-Lin head baseball coach Clay Smith. "There were two good outings in each game. Caleb threw really well for us in game one and their pitcher did a great job in game two. We just couldn't get anything going against them. I'm proud of our guys. They play give us a chance to win every time we play."

GAME 1

The Lions took an early 3-0 lead in the first inning.

Co-Lin would answer with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Cade Lowery (Wesson/Wesson Attendance Center) drove in two runs with a double to left field.

The Wolves tin the bottom of the third, Peyton Parker (West Monroe, LA/West Ouachita High School) was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a walk and Kenner Bizot's (Wesson/Wesson Attendance Center) single. Parker scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at 3-3. Tom Biggs (Columbia, LA/West gave the Wolves a 4-3 lead when he scored on a Hunter Estes' (Purvis/Lamar Christian) fly ball.

Co-Lin added another run in the bottom of the fourth. Reed Barlow (Florence/Florence High School) would triple to right field and score on Peyton Parker's ground out.

The Wolves would add what would be the winning run in the bottom of the sixth. Lowery would double and advance to third on walks to Barlow and Biggs. Marquez Hudson (Monticello/Lawrence County High School) would also draw a walk that would plate Lowery and give Co-Lin a 6-3 lead.

East Mississippi would mount a rally in the top of the eighth. With one out and runners on second and third, Rye McGlothin would drive in two runs to pull the Lions to 6-5. But, McGlothin would get thrown out trying to steal third to end the threat.

Co-Lin reliever Tucker Jones (Pearl/Pearl High School) would get the Lions to go 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth to secure the win.

At the plate, Lowery's two doubles and two RBIs would lead the Wolves. Barlow tripled. Collecting a single apiece were Parker, Biggs, Bizot and Noah Freeman (Mendenhall/Simpson Academy).

Caleb Rutledge (Calhoun, LA/West Ouchatia High School) was the winning pitcher for the Wolves. He gave up five runs (two earned) on five hits, struck out 10 and walk three in seven innings of work. Jones would pick up the save giving up one hit and striking out one in two innings.

The Lions were led by Al Dumas with a pair of singles. Blayze Berry doubled. Riley Tate, Beau Bates and McGlothin would all hit safely.

GAME 2

East Mississippi pitcher Cade Davis would keep the Wolves at bay. He pitched a complete game scattering four hits, giving up one run, striking out eight and walking three.

The one Co-Lin run would come in the sixth inning. Biggs doubled to lead off the inning and would advance to third on a ground out by Bizot. Freeman would hit a ground ball to second and reach on an error that scored Biggs.

The Lions scored two runs in the first and fifth innings and single runs in the third and fourth.

Starter Jacob Spinks would absorb the loss for the Wolves. He allowed five runs on six hits, struck out two and walked one in 4.1 innings. Also seeing action on the mound were Sevante Quinn (one strikeout), Aiden Singley (one run and one walk), Micah Parker (two walks), Braxton Henley (two strikeouts) and Biggs (one strikeout).

At the plate for Co-Lin, Biggs doubled. Will-Lawson Harkins (Carthage/Leake Academy), Freeman and Lowery would collect singles.

For East Mississippi, McGlothin had two home runs and three RBIs. Austin Beech and Beau Bates doubled. Dumas, Wesley Sides and Tate singled.

NEXT UP: The Wolves travel Meridian on Tuesday, March 23, first pitch is set for 2 p.m.