Wolves Drop Pair of Contests to Meridian

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball team returned to action hosting Meridian in a conference play doubleheader on Tuesday, March 29. The Eagles swept the Wolves taking game one, 11-8, and game two, 9-1.

Game One

The Wolves got off to an early lead in the bottom of the first as Tom Biggs (Columbia, La.) took one swing of the bat and drove an 0-1 pitch over the centerfield fence for a lead-off solo home run (his seventh of the season and fourth in three games) giving the Wolves an early 1-0 advantage.

The Eagles responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Wolves regained the lead matching the Eagles pair of runs with a pair of their own in the bottom half of the second. Harrison Mohead (Madison) hit a lead-off triple while DJ Walker (Brandon) followed by drawing a walk. Mohead then scored on an RBI groundout by Braydon Muse (Florence) after Walker stole second and then advanced to third on the play. Walker later scored in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Biggs giving the Wolves a 3-2 lead.

The Eagles regained the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth making the score, 4-3, and then added a single run in the fifth to increase their lead to 5-3. The Wolves responded in the bottom half of the fifth with a pair of runs as Jordan McKenzie (Franklinton, La.) hit a lead-off single and then was forced out as Brady Spring reached on a fielder's choice. Mohead then took one swing of the bat and drove an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run (his first of the season) that tied the game at 5-5.

The Eagles scored a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to take a 7-5 lead, but the Wolves once again tied the game in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs as Spring hit a lead-off single and advanced to third on a one-out double by Walker. Spring later scored in the inning on a passed ball as Walker advanced to third on the play and then later scored on an RBI-single by Kade Parker (Cadeville, La.) making the score, 7-7.

The Wolves then took the lead with a solo run in the bottom of the eighth as McKenzie drew a lead-off walk, advanced to third on a single by Spring, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Mohead making the score 8-7.

The Eagles responded with four runs in the top of the ninth and then retired the Wolves in order in the bottom half of the inning to secure the 11-7 win.

Jordan McKenzie, Brady Spring, and Harrison Mohead led the Wolves offense with two hits each. Tom Biggs, Gavin Brogden (Brookhaven), Kade Parker, Josh Boone (Foxworth), DJ Walker, Braydon Muse, and Colton Womack (Liberty) had one hit apiece as totaled 13 hits including one double each for Brogden, Walker, and Womack along with one home run each for Biggs and Mohead while Mohead also had one triple.

Conner Wilson (Osyka) got the start for the Wolves and earned a no-decision pitching 1.1 innings and allowing two runs on two hits with one strikeout and three walks. Lance Elsen (Madison) pitched 2.1 innings of relief allowing two runs on two hits with three strikeouts and one walk while Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) pitched 1.1 innings of relief allowing one run on three hits with one strikeout and two walks. Hunter Rhymes (Lucedale), Will Whittington (Hattiesburg), and Nate Anderson (Poplarville) all pitched one inning of relief. Rhymes allowed two runs on three hits with one strikeout and one walk, Whittington's outing was scoreless and hitless with one strikeout and two walks, while Anderson allowed one run with two strikeouts and two walks. Tedrick Page (Taylorsville) allowed one run with one walk in a relief appearance while Jordan McKenzie took the loss in relief falling to 1-2 overall while allowing two runs on one hit with two walks. Noah Freeman (Mendenhall) pitched 0.1 innings of relief with two walks, and Andrew Smith (Morton) pitched 0.2 innings as he forced the only batter he faced into a double play.

Game Two

The Eagles got out to an early lead as they scored four runs in the top of the first to take a 4-0 lead. The Wolves scored their only one of the game in the bottom of the fourth as Tom Biggs, Kade Parker, and Josh Boone drew three straight walks to load the bases with no outs. Brady Spring then drew a one-out walk, scoring Biggs and cutting the Eagles lead down to 4-1.

The Eagles then scored three runs in the second and two in the fourth to increase their lead to 9-1. The Wolves had a total of six baserunners in the second through seventh innings and were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh all via strikeouts as the Eagles clinched the 9-1 game two win and sweep over the Wolves.

Josh Boone and Harrison Mohead were the only members of the Wolves with hits as they had one hit each during the game that saw the Wolves draw seven walks and strikeout 16 times against the Meridian pitchers in the contest.

Tanner Watts (Brookhaven) got the start and fell to 1-3 with the loss pitching 1.1 innings and allowing seven runs on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Cooper Williams (Madison) pitched 3.2 innings of relief allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks, while Andrew Smith pitched two innings of scoreless relief allowing one hit with one strikeout and one walk.

Co-Lin is now 10-17 overall and 5-7 in conference play. The Wolves return to action with a road doubleheader against Itawamba on Saturday, April 2. First pitch between the Indians and the Wolves is set for 2 p.m., at Roy Cresap Field in Fulton.