No. 6 Lady Wolves earn sweep East Central

DECATUR – The No. 6 ranked Co-Lin Lady Wolves (21-3, 16-2) swept a doubleheader from the East Central Lady Warriors (6-20) 7-1 and 6-2.

GAME 1

Co-Lin went on top 1-0 in the first inning. Shelbi Maxwell (Wesson/Wesson High School) singled to center. Carlon Brabham (Amite, LA/Oak Forest High School) drew a walk. Maxwell and Brabham advanced on a pass ball. Catcher Abigail Carter hit a sacrifice fly to center to plate Maxwell.

In the second inning, Madalyn Wilkinson (Madison/Germantown High School) led off the inning with a single and stole second base. Madi Miller's (Brookhaven/Brookhaven High School) RBI single to center gave the Lady Wolves 2-0 lead.

The lone East Central run came on a Zharia Richardson home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Wilkinson led off the fifth inning with a double to centerfield. Bela Dekovic drew (Belle Chasse, LA/Belle Chasse High School) drew a walk. With one out. Malori Cade's (Brookhaven/Loyd Star High School) sacrifice fly to left scored Wilkinson and gave the Lady Wolves a 3-1 lead.

The Lady Wolves added three runs in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, Carter doubled. Blanchard drew a walk. Wilkinson collected an RBI with a single to left field to give Co-Lin a 4-1 lead. Dekovic hit a ground ball and reached on an error that scored pinch runner Leah Beth Luckey (Mendenhall/Simpson Academy) to increase the lead to 5-1. Mallory Johnson's (Jackson/Northwest Rankin) grounder to the shortstop scoring Wilkinson and giving Co-Lin a 6-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh, Miller tripled to center field. Maxwell's RBI ground out put the Lady Wolves up 7-1.

Blanchard (11-1) picked up the win. She gave up an earned run, one hit, struck out five and walked two in seven innings of work.

Braelyn Boykin absorbed the loss. She allowed seven runs (four earned) on 12 hits, struck out four and walked six.

At the plate for the Lady Wolves, Miller was 3-for-5 with a triple and a pair of singles and an RBI. Wilkinson was 3-for-4 with a double, a pair of singles and an RBI. Carter was also 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, a single and an RBI. Maxwell had a pair of hits. Adding support with a single was Blanchard.

For East Central, Lizzy Hollingsworth had the only other hit.

GAME 2

In game two, the Lady Wolves got on the board first with three runs in the top of the third inning. With one out, Miller singled to center, stole second and third bases. Maxwell's RBI sacrifice fly allowed Miller to score from third. Brabham singled and scored on Carter's home run.

Co-Lin would score three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Maxwell singled. Brabham and Carter drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Wilkinson's RBI single allowed Maxwell and pinch runner Julianna Johnson (Monticello/Lawrence County High School) to score and gave the Lady Wolves a 5-0 lead. Wilkinson's two-run RBI single plated Maxwell and Julianna Johnson. Catherine Wilson's (Wesson/Wesson Attendance Center) ground out plated pinch runner Faith Ashley (Brandon/Pisgah High School) to increase Co-Lin's lead to 6-0.

The Lady Warriors threatened in the bottom of the seventh. Kaylie Hillman walked and advanced to second on a Hollingsworth single. Katelyn Gipson's RBI single scored pinch runner Sidney Roan to close the gap to 6-1. Richardson singled and advanced to second and scored. Co-Lin pitcher Bella Luckey (Mendenhall/Simpson Academy) got Caime to ground out for the final out.

Luckey picked up the win for Co-Lin. She allowed two earned runs, eight hits, struck out seven and walked two in seven innings of work.

Gracey Baucom took the loss. She allowed six earned runs, seven hits, struck out six and walked five.

Wilkinson led Co-Lin with a pair of singles and two RBIs. Blanchard, Carter, Brabham, Maxwell and Miller added a single apiece.

Hollingsworth, Mary Moore Widemire and Katelynn Gipson had a pair of hits for the Lady Warriors. Richardson and Anna Caime collected a single apiece.

Next up:  The Lady Wolves will host No. 10 ranked Jones College for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 6, beginning at 3 p.m.