Wolves Split With Lions on Sophomore Day

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball team finished up the home portion of the 2023 regular season with a doubleheader against East Mississippi while celebrating Sophomore Day. The Wolves and Lions split the doubleheader with the Lions taking game one, 8-6, while the Wolves bounced back and won game two, 6-1.

GAME ONE

The Lions took advantage of an early error by the Wolves and took the lead with one run in the top of the first making the score, 1-0. The Lions then increased the lead with another single run in the bottom of the third after holding the Wolves off the board in the bottom of the second making the score, 2-0.

However, the Wolves tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third as Riley Easterling (Brookhaven) hit a leadoff triple and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Brently Berry (Magee) making the score, 2-1. Harrison Mohead (Madison) then hit a two-out single, while Sam Thomas (Ridgeland) followed with another single while a two-base error on the play allowed Mohead to score to tie the game at 2-2.

The Lions then regained their two-run lead with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, but the Wolves responded with one run in the bottom half of the inning as Hayden Babineaux (Church Point, LA) reached on an error and advanced to second on the play. Babineaux then took third on a groundout and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Easterling making the score, 4-3.

The Wolves then got two baserunners on in the fifth and sixth innings but could not push a tying or go-ahead run across, while the Lions then doubled their score with four runs in the seventh making the score, 8-3. The Wolves fought their way back into the game with three runs in the bottom of the eighth as Christian Cameron (Brandon), Babineaux, and Josh Boone (Foxworth) hit three straight singles to load the bases. Easterling reached on an error scoring Cameron while Berry and Ryland Hemphill (Florence) drew back-to-back walks scoring Babineaux and Boone making the score, 8-6. However, the Lions ended the inning with a double play to keep their lead at two runs and then forced a three-up-and-three-down inning in the ninth to seal the game one win.

The Wolves totaled 10 hits as a team with Sam Thomas, Christian Cameron, and Riley Easterling having two hits each while Brentley Berry, Harrison Mohead, Hayden Babineaux, and Josh Boone had one hit apiece. Easterling and Berry led the Wolves with two RBIs each while Hemphill had one RBI during the game.

Tyler Wolfe (Covington, LA) got the start for the Wolves and moved to 1-2 on the season with the loss while pitching three innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits with two walks and three strikeouts. Cooper Williams (Madison) pitched 2.2 innings of relief allowing two earned run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts while Coby Gollot (Ocean Springs) pitched 2.1 innings of relief allowing four runs, all earned, on six hits with one walks and three strikeouts. Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) pitched one inning of scoreless and hitless relief with one strikeout.

GAME TWO

The second game of the day saw the Wolves jump out to an early lead with a pair of runs as Brentley Berry drew a leadoff walk to get the offense going. Later in the inning, Berry stole second and then scored on an RBI double by Harrison Mohead. Mohead then advanced to third on an error during a pickoff play and scored on an RBI groundout by Christian Cameron making the score, 2-0.

The Lions then cut the Wolves lead in half with one run in the top of the second, but the Wolves responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to increase their lead. Riley Easterling hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a passed ball, took third on an error during a pickoff play, and then scored on an RBI single by Berry making the score, 3-1. Berry then advanced to third on a two-base error and later scored on an RBI groundout by Sam Thomas making the score, 4-1.

The Wolves then scored two more runs in the bottom of the fourth as Ryland Hemphill hit a leadoff single followed with a walk by Hayden Babineaux while Josh Boone reached on an error on a bunt to load the bases. Hemphill then scored on a double play while Babineaux scored on a passed ball making the score, 6-1.

The Wolves then allowed just five baserunners combined over the final three innings with no scoring allowed to secure the game two win and split against the Lions.

The Wolves totaled six hits as a team with Ryland Hemphill leading the way going 2-for-3 at the plate while Brentley Berry, Harrison Mohead, Hayden Babineaux, and Riley Easterling had one hit each. Easterling, Mohead, Sam Thomas, and Christian Cameron had one RBI each for the Wolves.

Andin Bolen (Lucedale) got the start for the Wolves and improved to 2-3 with the win while pitching five innings and allowing one earned run on three hits with five walks and seven strikeouts. Jayden Duncan (Foxworth) pitched two scoreless and hitless innings of relief with three walks and two strikeouts.

Co-Lin is now 13-33 overall, 7-17 in conference play, and will return to action with a road doubleheader against Hinds on Monday, April 24. First pitch between the Wolves and the Eagles is set for 3 p.m. at Joe G. Moss Field in Raymond.