Wolves End Regular Season With Split Against Bulldogs

PERKINSTON – The Co-Lin Baseball team finished the 2022 regular season with a road doubleheader against Gulf Coast on Tuesday, April 26. The Wolves and Bulldogs split the series with the Bulldogs taking game one, 13-1, and the Wolves taking game two, 6-2.

"I am very proud of the way that our guys showed some fight during this series," said Co-Lin head coach Clay Smith. "It was good to finish a tough year with a win."

Game One

Neither team scored in the first inning of the game as the Wolves got a lead-off single from Tom Biggs (Columbia, La.), but saw the next three batters retired while the Bulldogs were retired in order.

The Wolves broke the scoreless tie with one run in the second inning as Brady Spring (Brookhaven) hit a one-out single, advanced to third on a double by Harrison Mohead (Madison), and then scored on an RBI-single by Reed Barlow (Florence) making the score, 1-0.

The Bulldogs responded with six runs in the bottom of the second to take a 6-1 lead and then increased their lead by adding three runs in the third and four runs in the fourth to make the score, 13-1. The Wolves were then held to just three combined baserunners in the third through fifth innings via one single, one walk, and one hit-by-pitch as the Bulldogs sealed the 13-1 win.

Tom Biggs, Josh Boone (Foxworth), Brady Spring, Harrison Mohead, and Reed Barlow had one hit apiece as the Wolves totaled five hits including one double for Mohead. Barlow had one RBI for the Wolves in the game.

Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) got the start for the Wolves and fell to 0-3 on the season pitching 2.2 innings allowing nine runs on nine hits with one strikeout and one walk. Andrew Smith (Morton) pitched 0.2 innings of relief allowing two runs, both unearned, on three hits. Nate Anderson (Poplarville) and Kade May (Florence) pitched 0.1 innings of relief each as Anderson allowed two unearned runs with one strikeout and one walk while May's appearance was scoreless with one strikeout.

Game Two

The Wolves got off to a fast start against the Bulldogs in game two as they scored two runs in the top of the first to jump out to an early 2-0 lead. Tom Biggs once again led off with a single and then advanced to second on a single by Josh Boone (Foxworth). Biggs and Boone then later advanced to third and second respectively on a wild pitch while both then scored on a two-out, two-RBI single by DJ Walker (Brandon).

The Bulldogs answered with one run in the bottom of the first cutting the Wolves lead down to 2-1. However, the Wolves doubled their run total with a pair of runs in the top of the third as Boone hit a lead-off single and then scored as Kenner Bizot (Wesson) took one swing of the bat and crushed the first pitch of his at-bat over the left field fence for a two-run home run (his fifth of the season) making the score, 4-1.

The Bulldogs scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the fourth as they cut the Wolves lead down to 4-2. However, the Wolves once again added a pair of runs in the seventh as Colton Womack (Liberty) drew a lead-off walk, while Jordan McKenzie drew a walk with one out later in the inning. Womack and McKenzie then scored on a two-RBI double by Boone, making the score, 6-2.

The Wolves pitching staff held the Bulldogs to just two baserunners from the fifth through the seventh innings via one double and one error to seal the 6-2 win in game two and earn a split of the doubleheader.

Josh Boone and DJ Walker had two hits each to lead the Wolves in game two. Tom Biggs, Kenner Bizot, and Jordan McKenzie had one hit apiece as the Wolves totaled seven hits including one double for Boone and one home run for Bizot.

Tanner Watts (Brookhaven) got the start for the Wolves and improved to 2-4 overall pitching five innings allowing two runs on six hits with five strikeouts. Cooper Williams (Madison) and Kade Parker (Cadeville, La.) pitched one inning of scoreless, not-hit relief each as Parker had two strikeouts in his appearance.

"Tanner Watts pitched extremely well for us in game two," stated Smith. "Kenner Bizot's early home run was a big moment for us in that game and Josh Boone's double in the seventh gave us another big moment in that game."

"We have had a tough year with injuries which has kept us from being able to get a consistent lineup on the field and kept several pitchers out for big parts of the season," added Smith. "I am proud of how our guys never stopped working and stuck together through the whole year."

Co-Lin finishes the 2022 regular season 12-31 overall and 7-21 in MACCC play.