Wolves Split with Lions in Final Regular Season Road Trip

SCOOBA – The Co-Lin Baseball team took to the road for the final time in the 2024 regular season facing off against East Mississippi over the weekend. The Lions took game one on Saturday, April 20, 10-7, while rain forced game two to be pushed to Sunday, April 21, with the Wolves winning it, 3-2, for a split of the doubleheader.

GAME ONE

After the first inning and a half were scoreless, the Lions broke through first with three runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a 3-0 lead.

However, the Wolves responded with a pair of runs in the top of the third as Reise Thomas (Florence) hit a leadoff single followed up by Brentley Berry (Magee) drawing a walk. Thomas then scored on an RBI single by Jon David Weed (Terry) who was then forced out as Hagan Coumbe (Utica) reached on a fielder's choice. Jordan McKenzie then delivered a one-out, RBI single scoring Berry and cutting the deficit down to 3-2.

The Lions then increased their lead with a pair of runs on a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth making the score, 5-2. Once again, the Wolves responded with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth as Coumbe hit a leadoff double to get the offense going while McKezie followed with a single. After Coumbe was caught stealing, Sawyer Dunn (Magee) hit a single as McKenzie advanced to third on the play. Later in the inning, Brayden Bankston (Terry) hit a two-out, two-RBI single scoring McKenzie and Dunn cutting the Lions lead down to 5-4.

The Lions responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning to push their lead back out to three runs at 7-4. The Wolves continued to fight and cut the lead down with one run in the top of the seventh as Thomas hit a leadoff single, advanced to second on a passed ball, took third on a wild pitch, and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Coumbe making the score, 7-5. However, the Lions then scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take their largest lead of the game making the score, 10-5.

The Wolves continued to battle until the final out was recorded plating two runs in the top of the ninth as Thomas drew a leadoff walk to start the inning. Thomas then stole second, and later scored on a one-out, RBI triple by Weed. Weed then scored on a sacrifice fly by Coumbe making the score, 10-7. A groundout then ended the top of the ninth and sealed the 10-7 win for the Lions.

The Wolves totaled 13 hits as a team as JD Weed led the way with three hits while Jordan McKenzie, Brayden Bankston, and Reise Thomas had two hits apiece with Brentley Berry, Hagan Coumbe, Sawyer Dunn, and Christian Cameron (Brandon) adding one hit each. Weed and Coumbe led the Wolves in RBIs with two apiece while McKenzie and Bankston had one RBI each.

Andin Bolen (Lucedale) got the start for the Wolves and picked up his first loss of the season moving to 4-1 overall. Bolen pitched six innings allowing seven runs, all earned, on five hits with eight strikeouts and six walks. Judson Griffin (Brookhaven) pitched two innings of relief allowing three runs, all earned, on two hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

GAME TWO

The second game of the doubleheader was scoreless through the first two innings of play, but the Wolves found the board first with a solo run in the top of the third. Reise Thomas hit a one-out single to get the offense started. Thomas then advanced to second on a passed ball, took third on an error, and then later scored as Brentley Berry reached on an error making the score, 1-0.

The Wolves held on to their 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fifth when the Lions hit a solo home run with one out to tie the game at 1-1. However, the Wolves responded by regaining the lead with a single run in the top of the sixth as JD Weed hit a leadoff single to start the inning. Weed then stole second, advanced to third after tagging up on a fly out, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Jordan McKenzie making the score, 2-1.

The Lions then loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth and scored on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. However, the Wolves got out of the jam with the game remaining tied at 2-2.

The Wolves then scored a solo run in the top of the seventh to retake the lead as Braydon Evans (Florence) was hit-by-pitch with two outs and then replaced by Isaac McClenty as a pinch runner. Later in the inning, McClenty advanced to second on an error on a pickoff attempt, and then scored as Reise Thomas delivered an RBI infield single to the Lions shortstop giving the Wolves a 3-2 lead.

The Lions were then retired in order punctuated by a game-ending strikeout to secure the 3-2 game two win and split for the Wolves.

The Wolves totaled six hits as Reise Thomas led the way with two hits while Brentley Berry, JD Weed, Jordan McKenzie, and Braydon Evans had one hit each. Thomas and McKenzie had one RBI each for the Wolves.

Connor Pittman (Waynesboro) got the start for the Wolves and earned a no-decision while pitching five innings and allowing two runs, both earned, on three hits with eight strikeouts and five walks. Coby Gollott (Ocean Springs) picked up the win in relief, improving to 6-4 overall, while pitching two scoreless and hitless innings of relief allowing only one baserunner via a walk with one strikeout.

Co-Lin improves to 25-23 overall, 13-11 in conference play, and will return to action hosting Hinds on Wednesday, April 24. First pitch between the Eagles and the Wolves is set for 3 p.m., at Sullivan Field in Wesson.