Wolves Split Doubleheader with Tigers

WESSON – The Co-Lin Baseball resumed MACCC play by hosting Northeast Mississippi on Saturday, April 12. The No. 24 Tigers and the Wolves split the doubleheader as the Tigers got a 5-0 shutout win in game one while the Wolves rebounded for an 11-1 run-rule win in game two.

GAME ONE

The Wolves looked to get on the board first in the bottom of the first as Avery Griffin (Brookhaven) hit a leadoff single and then advanced to second on an error on the play. Later in the inning, Trey Davidson (Brandon) singled to put runners on the corners with one out; however, a strikeout followed by a groundout ended the inning with no scoring done and keeping the game scoreless.

The Tigers then took the lead with a single run in the top of the second. The Wolves then looked to respond as Donovan Moore (Bude) and Gavin Bledsoe (Brandon) were hit-by-pitch in back-to-back at-bats to put two runners on with one out. Once again, the Wolves were held off the board as a groundout and a flyout ended the inning with no scoring done to maintain the lead for the Tigers.

The Tigers then added two runs in the fourth and fifth while continuing to hold the Wolves off the board to run their lead to 5-0. The final four innings of the game were scoreless for both teams as the Tigers sealed the 5-0 win in game one.

The Wolves totaled four hits as Avery Griffin, Trey Davidson, Evan Holifield (Stringer) and Gavin Bledsoe had one hit each.

Tanner Blackwell (Flora) got the start and fell to 0-2 while pitching 4.1 innings and allowing five runs, all earned, on five hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Lucas Harrington (Youngsville, LA) pitched 3.2 innings of scoreless relief allowing one hit with two walks and five strikeouts while Darrin Robbins (Sumrall) pitched one inning of scoreless relief with one hit and one strikeout.

GAME TWO

The second game of the doubleheader saw the Tigers take an early lead as they scored their only run of the game in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.

The Wolves responded with three runs in the bottom of the second as Evan Holifield hit a leadoff triple to get the offense going. Later in the inning, Gavin Bledsoe drew a one-out walk to put runners on the corners for the Wolves. After Bledsoe stole second, Donovan Moore hit a two-RBI single scoring Holifield and Bledsoe to give the Wolves a 2-1 lead. Later in the inning, Tucker Jones (Brandon) was hit-by-pitch to put two runners on with two outs. Trey Davidson then hit an RBI-single scoring Moore and increasing the lead to 3-1.

The Wolves then increased their lead with two runs in the bottom of the third as Holifield got the offense started with a one-out double. Brady White (Ethel) then stepped up, took one swing of the bat, and hit a 3-2 pitch for an opposite field two-run home run over the fence in right field, his second home run of the season, to make the lead, 5-1.

The Wolves then exploded for five runs in the bottom of the fourth as Avery Griffin drew a leadoff walk while Jones then hit a bunt single to put two runners on with no outs. Davidson then hit a bunt and reached on an error while Griffin scored on the play to extend the lead to 6-1. Lucas Harrington then stepped up to the plate and crushed the second pitch of the at-bat for a no-doubter three-run home run over the left field fence, his third of the season, to extend the lead to 9-1. Caleb Brooks (Brandon) then followed with a double to keep the offensive momentum going for the Wolves. Later in the inning, Brooks stole third as White drew a walk while a sacrifice fly by Bledsoe scored Brooks to make the lead, 10-1.

The Wolves then ended the game in the bottom of the fifth as Jones stepped up to the plate with one out on the board, took one swing of the bat, and clobbered a walk-off solo home run over the left field fence, his fifth of the season, to end the game at 11-1 and secure the split.

The Wolves totaled 11 hits as Tucker Jones, Trey Davidson, Lucas Harrington, and Evan Holifield had two hits apiece while Caleb Brooks, Brady White, and Donovan Moore had one hit each. Harrington led the Wolves in RBIs with three while White and Moore had two RBIs apiece while Jones, Davidson, and Bledsoe had one RBI each.

Cameron Patterson (Central, LA) got the start and improved to 3-2 with the complete game win while allowing one earned run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Co-Lin is now 26-19 overall, 10-10 in MACCC play, and will return to action hosting East Central on Tuesday, April 15. First pitch between the No. 3 Warriors and the Wolves is set for 3 p.m., at Sullivan Field in Wesson.