Bucs Complete Sweep with Two Comeback Wins

TUSCALOOSA - The No. 9 ranked Shelton State baseball team posted a pair of comeback wins to complete the four-game sweep of Pensacola State on Saturday afternoon

The Bucs rallied for a 6-5 walk-off win in game one and overcame two deficits to post a 10-7 win in the nightcap.

Shelton State (13-2) improved to 11-0

at home this season after the four wins over the Pirates.

Freshman first baseman James Graphos delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth for the 6-5 win in game one. 

Sophomore Paxton Ponder and freshmen John Robicheaux and Jackson Henderson all hit their first career home runs in the game two.

The first game was tied 5-5 heading to the bottom of the ninth. Robicheaux led off with a single and moved to second when freshman third baseman Slade Sullivan drew a one-out walk. 

A ground out by pinch-hitter Pierce Dutton moved both runners into scoring position. Ponder walked to load the bases. 

Graphos came the plate and lined an 0-1 pitch down the right field line to score Robicheaux with the winning run. 

Pensacola State (12-8) had tied the game at 5-5 on Dallas Dale's two-run home run in the seventh inning.

The Pirates scored an unearned run to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning. It was their first lead in the series. 

The Bucs tied the game at 1-1 on Sullivan's RBI single in the fourth. 

Shelton State took its first lead with three runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore left fielder Hayes Alford, who had a career-high four hits in game one, stroked a two-run triple to give the Bucs a 3-1 lead. Robicheaux added an RBI single to make it 4-1.

The Pirates scored two runs in the sixth on an error and single to make it 4-3. 

Sophomore Lawson Neel hit a lead off home run in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 5-3.

John Michael Pickens (1-0) picked up the win. Bradley Link (0-2) took the loss.

Shelton State scored six runs in the fifth inning to overcome a 6-4 deficit in game two. 

Robicheaux smacked a leadoff home run to right field to cut the deficit to 6-5. 

Alford followed with a double to left center to put the tying run at second base. After a strikeout and wild pitch, Ponder laid down a bunt single to score Alford with the tying run.

Freshman Grant Browning laced a double to left field to chase Ponder with the go-ahead run.  

Sophomore Brady Waugh singled to right and Henderson launched a two-run to center field to push the lead to 10-6.

Shelton State scored three unearned runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Dutton plated the first run with a sacrifice fly. Robicheaux added an RBI double and Alford had an RBI single.

Pensacola took the lead with four runs in the second inning. Ethan Frame had a two-run single and Mason Onate and Will Barter had RBI singles. Onate had a hit in all four games and finished with nine hits in the series.

Ponder led off the bottom of the second with a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4. It was his first career home run.

Pensacola regained the lead at 5-4 with an unearned run in the third. Barter made it 6-4 with a two-out single in the fourth.

The Pirates scored their final run on a ground out in the seventh inning. 

Freshman Gunner Dodd (2-0) recorded the win. 

Makiao Cisernos (0-1) took the loss.

Alford went 6-for-7 in Saturday's double header with two extra base hits and three RBIs. 

Graphos had seven hits and four RBIs in the series. Sullivan had six hits in the series, including four hits in the opener. 

The Bucs open ACCC play this Thursday at Snead State. The two teams will play in Tuscaloosa next Saturday.