Baseball Splits Season Opener On The Road

CHALMETTE, La. – The Co-Lin Baseball team opened the 2023 season with a doubleheader on the road against Nunez Community College on Wednesday, February 8. The Wolves split the doubleheader taking game one, 6-2, and dropping game two, 11-8.

GAME ONE

The Wolves looked to get on the board early in the game as they get two runners on with two-outs in the bottom of the first, but a groundout ended the inning. The Wolves then forced a three up and three down inning by the Pelicans to keep the game scoreless.

The Wolves broke the scoreless tie in the top of the second as freshman infielder Christian Cameron (Brandon) took one swing of the bat and smashed the first pitch he saw for a leadoff solo home run to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead. The Wolves extended the lead in the top of the third as freshman infielder Sam Thomas (Ridgeland) blasted the first pitch he saw for a two-out solo home run to make the Wolves lead 2-0.

The Wolves then doubled their lead in the top of the fifth as sophomore outfielder Harrison Mohead (Madison) and freshman infielder Hagan Coumbe (Utica) hit back-to-back solo home runs with two outs to give the Wolves a 4-0 lead.

The Pelicans scored their first run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the Wolves lead down to 4-1. However, the Wolves responded with their final two runs of the game in the top of the seventh as freshman outfielder Tyler Wolfe (Covington, La.) hit a leadoff double to get the offense going. Mohead then stepped up with one out on the board and crushed a full count pitch for a two-run home run, the fifth of the game for the Wolves and second for Mohead, to increase the lead to 6-1.

The final run for the Pelicans came in the eighth inning from a leadoff solo home run, but the Pelicans then only managed one baserunner over the next seven batters as the Wolves slammed the door shut and sealed the 6-2 win.

Harrison Mohead led the Wolves offensively going 4-for-5 at the plate with one double, two home runs, and three RBIs, which also led the team. Tyler Wolfe, Christian Cameron, and Brentley Berry had two hits apiece as Wolfe had two doubles and Cameron had one home run. Sam Thomas and Hagan Coumbe had one hit each as both had one solo home run apiece while the Wolves had 12 hits as a team. Thomas. Cameron, and Coumbe also had one RBI apiece.

Sophomore pitcher Conner Wilson (Osyka) got the start for the Wolves and picked up the win to go 1-0. Wilson pitched five innings allowing one earned run on five hits with seven strikeouts. Freshman pitcher Coby Gollot (Ocean Springs) pitched three innings of relief allowing one earned run on two hits with two strikeouts.

GAME TWO

The Wolves jumped out to an early lead in the second game as sophomore outfielder Josh Boone (Foxworth) hit a leadoff double and then advanced to third on a single by Tyler Wolfe. The Wolves then successfully pulled off a double steal as Wolfe swiped second and Boone stole home to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.

The Pelicans then took their first lead of the game with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second as the score stood at 2-1. However, the Wolves tied the game in the top of the third hit a one-out single, advanced to third on a two-out double by Harrison Mohead, and then scored on a single by Alford Hill, but Mohead was called out at the plate trying to score on the play and give the Wolves a lead. The Wolves and Pelicans remained tied at 2-2 until the top of the fourth when the Wolves scored six runs.

Freshman outfielder Isaac McClenty (Ridgeland) got the inning going with a one-out double, and then scored on back-to-back singles by freshman catcher Luke Knight (Terry) and freshman infielder Riley Easterling (Brookhaven) to give the Wolves a 3-2 lead. Boone then singled to load the bases, while Wolfe followed with a fourth straight single scoring Knight while Sam Thomas then hit a bases clearing double to give the Wolves a 7-2 lead. The final run of the inning came on an RBI single by Hill to make the score 8-2.

The Wolves then made four errors in the bottom of the fourth which helped to give the Pelicans a nine-run inning and regain the lead at 11-8. The Wolves then had back-to-back three up and three down innings in the fifth and sixth and then got a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, but three straight outs ended the potential come from behind effort giving the Pelicans the 11-8 win and the Wolves a split on the day.

The Wolves had 14 hits as a team with Alford Hill leading the way in game two going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Josh Boone, Tyler Wolfe, Sam Thomas, and Isaac McClenty all had two hits apiece with Boone having two doubles while Thomas and McClenty had one double each. Harrison Mohead and Riley Easterling had one hit each. Thomas led the Wolves in RBIs in game two with three while Wolfe and Easterling had one RBI each.

Tyler Wolfe got the start for the Wolves and earned a no decision with three innings of work allowing five runs, all earned, on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks. Sophomore pitcher Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) pitched 0.2 innings of relief and took the loss allowing six runs, all unearned, on two hits with one strikeout and two walks. Freshman pitcher Jayden Duncan (Foxworth) pitched 0.1 innings of relief with one walk while freshman pitcher Connor Pittman (Waynesboro) pitched two innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts.

Co-Lin is 1-1 overall on the season and the Wolves will return to action for their home opener on Friday, February 10, against Rend Lake. First pitch between the Warriors and the Wolves is set for 3 p.m., at Sullivan Field in Wesson.