Bucs Toss Third Shutout of Season; Run-Rules Wallace Selma

TUSCALOOSA – A trio of Shelton State pitchers combined on a three-hit shutout in the Bucs 10-0 run-rule win over Wallace State Selma on Tuesday afternoon. It was the Bucs fourth run-rule win of the season.

Sophomores JD Wilkins and Bryant Akridge and freshman Jack Sanderson combined for the shutout against the Patriots.

Wilkins (2-1) had a bounce back start with three scoreless innings and five strikeouts. He allowed three singles and threw 40 pitches. Akridge retired all nine batters he faced in three innings and recorded four strikeouts. Sanderson pitched a scoreless seventh inning, with two walks and two strikeouts.

Shelton State (7-1), riding a four-game winning streak, remained perfect at home (6-0) this season.

The Bucs offense had nine hits in the win and took advantage of eight walks, three wild pitches, two hit batters and two errors.

Sophomore centerfielder Pierce Dutton led the offense going 2-for-4 with two RBIs, one run, one walk and one stolen base. Sophomore right fielder Mason Steele went 2-for-3 with one run, one RBI and one walk. Freshman left fielder John Robicheaux went 2-for-3 and scored one run.

The Bucs scored single runs in the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead with Steele accounting for both runs. Steele reached on a one out single to right and later scored on a passed ball to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. In the second, Steele added an RBI single to score freshman catcher Grant Browning to make it 2-0.

Shelton State doubled its lead to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore DH Hayes Alford and Robicheaux opened the inning with back-to-back singles. Sophomore third baseman Brady Waugh moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt. Alford scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0. Then, sophomore first baseman Tripp Gann walked to put runners on the corners and sophomore shortstop Paxton Ponder drove in Robicheaux with a perfectly executed bunt.

The Bucs scored six runs in the sixth inning to set up the run-rule win. Dutton walked, stole second base and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0. Waugh delivered an RBI single to score pinch runner Trenton Shirley to make it 6-0. The Bucs made it 7-0 when freshman pinch hitter Slade Sullivan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Alford. Freshman second baseman Payton Zupancic delivered a sac fly to score Waugh and push the lead to 8-0. Dutton, who started the inning with a leadoff walk, capped the frame with a two-run single to make it 10-0.

Shelton State is on the road this weekend when the Bucs play a three-game series at No. 10 Gulf Coast State in Panama City, Fla. The games are Thursday (3 p.m.), Friday (2 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.).