Wolves Drop Two to Rangers

SENATOBIA – The Co-Lin Baseball team returned to action with a road conference doubleheader against Northwest Mississippi. The Rangers swept the Wolves taking game one, 7-6, in extra innings, and game two, 6-2.

GAME ONE

The Rangers scored two runs in the first and three in the fourth while holding the Wolves to four combined baserunners via two hits and two walks to hold a 5-0 lead. The Wolves then cut into the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth as Sawyer Dunn (Magee) and Spencer Wilson (McComb) drew back-to-back walks to start the inning.

Both runners later advanced as Brentley Berry (Magee) singled to load the bases with one out for the Wolves. Dunn then scored as Tucker Jones (Brandon) reached on a fielder's choice while. Berry was forced out on the play. Hagan Coumbe (Utica) then hit an RBI single scoring Wilson to cut the Rangers lead down to 5-2.

The Wolves then tied the game as they scored three runs in the eighth with Jon David Weed (Terry) starting the inning being hit-by-pitch while Lucas Harrington (Youngsville, LA) singled, then Jordan McKenzie (Franklinton, LA) was hit-by-pitch to load the bases with no outs. Weed and Harrington then scored on a two-RBI single by Dunn cutting the lead down to 5-4. Ryland Hemphill (Florence) was brought in later in the inning as a pinch hitter and drew a walk while Braden Freeman was brought in as a pinch runner. A wild pitch then allowed McKenzie to score the tying run making the score, 5-5. Berry then drew a walk to load the bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts by the Wolves ended the inning.

The Wolves then gained the lead with a solo run in the top of the ninth as Weed hit a lead-off single, advanced to second on a wild pitch, took third on a groundout, and then scored on an RBI single by McKenzie making the score, 6-5. However, the lead was short-lived as the Rangers hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth tying the game, 6-6.

The Wolves then got two runners on in the top of the tenth, but could not push the go-ahead run across the plate while the Rangers then loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half and hit a walk-off single to take the game, 7-6.

The Wolves totaled 10 hits as a team with Hagan Coumbe, Lucas Harrington, and Jordan McKenzie having two hits each while Brentley Berry, Tucker Jones, JD Weed, and Sawyer Dunn had one hit apiece. Dunn led the Wolves in RBIs with two while McKenzie and Coumbe had one RBI each.

Andin Bolen (Lucedale) got the start for the Wolves and earned a no-decision pitching 1.2 innings allowing two runs, both earned, on three hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Lucas Harrington pitched 4.1 innings of relief allowing three runs, all earned, on five hits with five walks and two strikeouts while Caleb Flynn (Laurel) pitched one inning of scoreless and hitless relief. Wade Barr (Collins) pitched 1.2 innings of relief one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts while Jayden Duncan took the loss in relief moving to 1-2 overall. Duncan pitched one inning allowing one unearned one on one hit with one walk and one strikeout.

GAME TWO

The Wolves got on the board first with two runs in the top of the third as Sam Cook (Shubuta) reached on an error to start the inning. Sam Thomas (Madison) then doubled while both Cook and Thomas later scored on a two-RBI single by Brentley Berry giving the Wolves a 2-0 lead.

The Rangers responded by tying the game with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the third and then took the lead with four runs in the sixth making the score, 6-2. The Wolves got a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh, but back-to-back strikeouts followed by a fly out ended the game with the Rangers taking the win and sweeping the Wolves.

Brentley Berry, JD Weed, Sam Thomas, and Sawyer Dunn had one hit each during the game for the Wolves while Berry accounted for the two RBIs for the team.

Connor Pittman (Waynesboro) got the start and took the loss moving to 4-3 overall. Pittman pitched six innings allowing six runs, five earned, on nine hits with one walk and four strikeouts.

Co-Lin is now 13-15 overall, 1-3 in conference play, and will return to action hosting No. 13 Jones on Tuesday, March 19. First pitch between the Bobcats and Wolves is set for 3 p.m., at Sullivan Field in Wesson.