Shelton State Blanks Marion in Season Opener

Shelton State Blanks Marion in Season Opener

TUSCALOOSA – Five Shelton State pitchers combined for an opening day shutout as the Bucs cruised to a 9-0 win over Marion Military.

Sophomore JD Wilkins, freshman Eli Driskell, sophomore Bryant Akridge, freshman Landon Shumate and sophomore John Michael Pickens combined on the one-hit shutout. They limited the Tigers to only two baserunners in the game and recorded eight strikeouts and no walks.

Wilkins (1-0) was the winning pitcher as retired all six batters he faced with one strikeout. Driskell, making his Shelton State debut, retired all six batters he faced with three strikeouts. Akridge and Shumate added two scoreless frames and Pickers pitched a percent ninth. Shumate struck out three in his Bucs debut.

Shelton State (1-0) scored all the runs it would need a four-run first inning. Sophomore centerfielder Pierce Dutton singled to right on the first pitch of the game. Sophomore Mason Steele followed with a walk and freshman James Graphos, making his Bucs debut, singled in his first at-bat to load the bases.

Sophomore Hayes Alford collected the first RBI of the season when he walked with the bases loaded. Sophomore Brady Waugh brought home the second run when he his was hit by a pitch. Sophomore Trenton Shirley added an RBI single and Alford scored on wild pitch.

The Bucs stretched the lead to 5-0 on sophomore Lawson Neel's RBI double in the third inning.

Shelton State scored three runs in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 8-0. Dutton had a two-run single and Graphos added an RBI double.

Freshman Grant Browning made his Bucs debut and was hit by a pitch and scored a run in the eighth inning.

Dutton led the Bucs with two hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Graphos added two hits and one RBI.

Shelton State will host Marion in a double header on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Noon.