Wolves Drop Two Close Contests to Nationally Ranked Opponents

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball team returned to action hosting a pair of Top-10 opponents on Tuesday, February 21. The Wolves had two come-from-behind efforts come up just short as they fell to No. 9 Meridian, 8-7, and then lost to No. 1 and defending national champion Pearl River, 10-7.

GAME ONE

The Wolves jumped out to an early lead over the Eagles as they scored a single run in the bottom of the second. Harrison Mohead (Madison) hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a single by Sam Thomas (Ridgeland), and then scored as Alford Hill (Isola) reached safely on fielder's choice making the score, 1-0.

The Wolves then increased their lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Brentley Berry (Magee) hit a one-out single and then scored on an RBI triple by Tyler Wolfe (Covington, LA). Wolfe then scored on an RBI groundout by Josh Boone (Foxworth) making the score, 3-0, for the Wolves.

The Eagles cut into the Wolves lead with a solo run in the top of the fourth to make the score, 3-1, and then gained the lead in the top of the fifth when they scored their final seven runs of the game capped off by a three-run home run to make the score 8-3.

The Wolves fought back and scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead down to one as Mohead and Christian Cameron (Brandon) led off with back-to-back singles. Thomas then reached base on an error to load the bases with no outs for the Wolves while Mohead and Cameron then scored on a two-RBI double by Hill to make the score, 8-5. Thomas later scored in the inning on a passed ball while Hill scored on an RBI groundout by Hayden Babineaux (Church Point, LA) making the score 8-7.

The Wolves then got two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but a line out to third base ended the game sealing the 8-7 win for the Eagles.

The Wolves totaled nine hits as a team as Harrison Mohead went 3-for-4 at the plate while Alford Hill had two hits with Brentley Berry, Tyler Wolfe, Sam Thomas, and Christian Cameron getting one hit each. Hill led the Wolves in RBIs with three while Wolfe, Josh Boone, and Hayden Babineaux had one RBI each.

Conner Wilson (Osyka) got the start for the Wolves and fell to 1-2 with the loss. Wilson pitched 4.2 innings allowing eight runs, all earned, on nine hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Jayden Duncan (Foxworth) pitched 2.1 innings of scoreless relief with two hits and one strikeout.

GAME TWO

The second game of the night once again saw the Wolves jump out to an early lead as they took advantage of early errors by the Wildcats to score three runs in the bottom of the first. Brentley Berry drew a leadoff walk with Josh Boone following up with a single to put two on with no outs. Berry and Boone then both scored as Alford Hill reached base on an error making the score 2-0 while Hill later scored on a second error by the Wildcats to increase the Wolves lead to 3-0.

The Wildcats responded with a pair of runs to cut the Wolves lead down to one in the top of the second inning; however, the Wolves added one run in the bottom half. Isaac McClenty (Ridgeland) hit a leadoff single but was forced out as Braden Freeman (Terry) reached on a fielder's choice. Freeman later scored in the inning on an RBI double by Boone giving the Wolves a 4-2 lead.

The Wolves held the lead until the top of the fourth inning when the Wildcats scored three to take a 5-4 lead and then increased the lead to 6-4 with one run in the top sixth. The Wolves fought their way back to within one as they scored a run in the bottom half of the sixth. Sam Thomas led off the inning being hit by pitch, advanced to second as Ryland Hemphill (Florence) drew a walk, and then scored on an RBI single by McClenty making the score 6-5.

The Wildcats regained a two-run lead with another solo run in the top of the seventh, but the Wolves once again responded with a single run in the bottom half to cut the lead down to one run. Boone hit a leadoff single, advanced to second and third on passed balls, and then later scored on an RBI groundout by Thomas making the score 7-6.

The Wolves then held the Wildcats scoreless in the top of the eighth and tied the game in the bottom half of the inning with a single run as Hayden Babineaux drew a leadoff walk, advanced to third as Berry reached on an error, and later scored on a passed ball. The Wolves then looked to take a lead in the inning as they loaded the bases with two outs, but a strikeout ended the inning and kept the game tied.

The Wildcats then took the lead in the ninth inning with a bases loaded double to take a 10-7 lead over the Wolves and sealed the win as the Wolves went three-up-and-three-down in the bottom of the ninth.

The Wolves totaled eight hits as a team as Josh Boone went a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate while Isaac McClenty had two hits with Harrison Mohead and Sam Thomas having one hit each. Boone, Thomas, and McClenty had one RBI each.

Connor Pittman (Waynesborg) got the start for the Wolves and picked up a no-decision with 3.1 innings pitched allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits with three walks and five strikeouts. Andin Bolen pitched 2.1 innings of relief allowing one unearned run on one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. Coby Gollot (Ocean Springs) picked up the loss, moving to 0-1 on the season, with 1.1 innings of relief allowing two earned runs on one hit with three walks and seven strikeouts. Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) pitched 0.2 innings of relief allowing one earned run on one hit with one walk.

Co-Lin moves to 3-8 overall and returns to action with a pair of road games on Saturday, February 24 at Joe G. Moss Field at Hinds. The Wolves will face off against No. 15 Hinds at Noon and then play No. 9 Meridian at 2 p.m., in Raymond.