Wolves Sweep Cardinals

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball team played host to Mineral Area (Mo.) in the 2022 home opener on Saturday, February 12, 2022. The Wolves swept the Cardinals taking game one, 9-7, and taking game two, 4-3.

Game One

The Wolves wasted no time taking the lead over the Cardinals as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning started with a leadoff single by Harrison Mohead (Madison). Mohead then scored as Tom Biggs (Columbia, La.) hit a triple to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Kade Parker (Cadeville, La.) then drew a walk and stole second, but Biggs was thrown out at home on the play. DJ Walker (Brandon) drew a walk and Brady Spring (Brookhaven) reached on an error to load the bases. Josh Boone (Foxworth) then singled scoring both Parker and Walker to give the Wolves a 3-0 lead.

The Cardinals cut into the Wolves lead with a solo run in the top of the third inning, but the Wolves responded with a five-run bottom half as Bizot hit a leadoff single, Walker drew a walk and Spring reached on an error to load the bases with no outs. Boone then singled scoring Bizot while Braydon Muse (Florence) hit a bases clearing double scoring Walker, Spring, and Boone to give the Wolves an 8-1 lead.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the fourth and four runs in the sixth to cut the Wolves lead down to 8-7. Once again, the Wolves responded as they plated their final run in the bottom of the sixth inning as Biggs hit a leadoff double and then later scored on a double by Gavin Brogden (Brookhaven) to increase the lead to 9-7. The Cardinals had a scoring threat in the top of the seventh inning as they had two runners on with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat and gave the Wolves a 9-7 win.

Biggs and Boone both went 2-for-3 at the plate during the game while Biggs had one double, collected one RBI and drew a walk with Boone picking up three RBIs. Muse went 1-for-2 at the plate with a double, three RBIs and Brogden went 1-for-1 with one double and one RBI.

Kade May (Florence) got the start for the Wolves. May pitched three innings and picked up the win (1-0) allowing one unearned run on one hit with six strikeouts and four walks. Tanner Watts (Brookhaven) pitched 2.2 innings in relief allowing six runs, five earned, on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Cooper Williams pitched one inning of scoreless relief with one hit, one strikeout, and two walks while Noah Freeman (Mendenhall) picked up his first save of the season pitching 0.1 innings and striking out the only batter he faced.

Game Two

The second game was scoreless until the bottom of the second inning when Kenner Bizot stepped up and crushed his first home run of the season over the right field fence giving the Wolves a 1-0 lead. The Cardinals responded by taking their only lead of the game as they plated a pair of runs in the top of the third making the score 2-1.

However, the Wolves responded with a solo run in the bottom half of the third as Gavin Brogden singled and then later scored on an RBI groundout by Tom Biggs tying the game at 2-2. The Wolves then regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth with a single run as Andrew Smith (Morton) drew a leadoff walk and then came around to score on an RBI double by Brogdon to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead.

The Cardinals once again tied the game as they plated a solo run in the top of the fifth to make the score 3-3. The Wolves responded by retaking the lead with one run in the bottom half as Biggs drew a leadoff walk advanced to second and third on two passed balls and then came around to score on an RBI single by Bizot to give the Wolves a 4-3 lead. The Cardinals only managed two total baserunners in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Wolves slammed the door shut on each potential game-tying opportunity to seal the 4-3 win.

Bizot went 2-for-3 at the plate with one home run and two RBIs while Brogden went 2-for-2 with one double and one RBI.

Conner Wilson (Osyka) got the start for the Wolves and pitched four innings allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Jordan McKenzie (Franklinton, La.), Hunter Rhymes (Lucedale), and Jacob Spinks (Jonesville, La.) each pitched one inning of relief. McKenzie allowed one earned run on one hit with three walks while Rhymes and Spinks both had scoreless appearances as Rhymes had three strikeouts and one walk in the winning effort improving to 1-0 and Spinks allowed one hit and had two strikeouts earning his first save of the season.

Co-Lin is now 2-2 overall on the season. The Wolves will return to action facing off against Holmes and Mississippi Delta on Tuesday, February 15 in non-conference action. Both games will be played at Charlie Donald Field in Goodman with the game against Holmes scheduled for 11:00 a.m., and the game against Mississippi Delta scheduled to start at 2 p.m.