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SUMMIT – The Co-Lin Baseball team returned to action with a road conference series against Southwest on Wednesday, March 24. The Bears and Wolves split the doubleheader as the Bears took game one, 15-7, and the Wolves took game two, 8-1.
Game One
Southwest jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first as they scored three runs making the score 3-0. However, the Wolves responded with three runs in the top of the second as Brady Spring (Brookhaven) led off drawing a walk and Jordan McKenzie (Franklinton, La.) followed up with a single. Spring and McKenzie advanced to third and second respectively on a passed ball and then scored on a two-RBI double by Andrew Smith (Morton) making the score 3-2. Smith then later scored on an RBI-single by Josh Boone (Foxworth) to tie the game at 3-3.
The Bears regained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second to make the score 6-3 and then increased their lead to 7-3 with one run in the bottom of the third. The Wolves scored a solo run in the top of the fourth to cut the lead down to 7-4 as Braydon Muse (Florence) hit a lead-off single, advanced to third on a double by Boone, and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Gavin Brogden (Brookhaven).
The Bears extended the lead back to four runs as they scored one run in the bottom of the fourth making the score, 8-4, and then scored three runs in the fifth inning to make the score 11-4. The Wolves added two runs in the top of the sixth as Boone hit a lead-off single and then scored as Kenner Bizot (Wesson) drove a 1-0 pitch over the centerfield fence for a two-run home run, his third of the season, making the score 11-6.
However, the Bears scored three runs in the bottom half of the sixth to increase their lead to 14-6. The final run for the Wolves came in the top of the seventh as Harrison Mohead (Madison) hit a one-out double and then later scored on an RBI-single by Muse making the score, 14-7. The Bears scored their final run in the bottom half of the inning to seal the 15-7 win in game one.
Josh Boone led the Wolves offense going 3-for-5 at the plate while Jordan McKenzie, Harrison Mohead, and Braydon Muse had two hits apiece. Tom Biggs, Kenner Bizot, and Andrew Smith had one hit each as the Wolves totaled 12 hits including one double each for Mohead, Boone, and Smith, while Bizot had one home run. Bizot and Smith led the Wolves in RBIs with two each while Boone, Muse, and Gavin Brogden had one RBI each.
Conner Wilson (Osyka) got the start for the Wolves and fell to 0-2 on the season. Wilson pitched 1.2 innings giving up six runs, four earned, on two hits with four walks. Hunter Rhymes (Lucedale) pitched 0.1 innings of relief allowing one unearned run with one strikeout and two walks. Wyatt Hodges (Brookhaven) pitched three innings of relief allowing four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks while Will Whittington (Hattiesburg) pitched one inning of relief allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
“We just did not pitch well at all in game one,” stated Co-Lin head coach Clay Smith. “When you walk 10 and keep putting guys on base it makes it very tough to win.”
Game Two
The Wolves wasted no time jumping out to an early lead as they scored two in the top of the first with Tom Biggs hitting a lead-off double and advancing to third on a single by Gavin Brogden. Biggs then scored on a passed ball as Brogden went from first to third on the play and then later scored on another passed ball in the inning to make the score 2-0.
The Wolves increased their lead to 3-0 with a solo run in the second as Harrison Mohead hit a one-out single and then later scored on a passed ball. The big inning for the Wolves came in the third as the scored four with Josh Boone hitting a lead-off single, stealing second, advancing to third on a ground out and scoring on an RBI-single by Brady Spring making the score, 4-0. Back-to-back singles by Jordan McKenzie and Kade Parker (Cadeville, La.) loaded the bases with one out for the Wolves. Braydon Muse then drew a walk scoring Spring while McKenzie and Parker then scored as Mohead reached on a fielder’s choice making the score, 7-0.
The lone run for the Bears came in the bottom of the sixth as they cut the Wolves lead down to 7-1. However, the Wolves extended the lead back to seven runs as they scored one in the top of the seventh as Muse drew lead-off walk, advanced to third on a double by DJ Walker (Brandon), and then scored as Biggs ground into a double play making the score, 8-1.
The Bears then sandwiched a lineout between two strikeouts in a three-up-and-three-down bottom half of the seventh as the Wolves secured the 8-1 game two win and split of the series.
Josh Boone led the Wolves offense in game two going 3-for-4 at the plate. Tom Biggs, Gavin Brogden, and Jordan McKenzie hit two hits apiece while Kenner Bizot, Brady Spring, Kade Parker, Braydon Muse, Harrison Mohead, and DJ Walker got one hit apiece as the Wolves totaled 15 hits and saw every player with an at-bat get at least one hit.
Tanner Watts (Brookhaven) got the start for the Wolves and was dominant on the mound in the complete game win improving to 1-2 on the season. Watts allowed one unearned on five hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
“Tanner Watts did a great job in game two,” said Smith. “He threw strikes and kept the defense involved throughout the game. He was very effective, and everything really started with him throwing strikes.”
Co-Lin is now 8-15 overall and 3-5 in conference play. The Wolves will return to action hosting a conference play doubleheader against Holmes on Sunday, March 27. First pitch between the Bulldogs and Wolves is scheduled for 2 p.m., at Sullivan Field in Wesson.
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