Wolves Split Day Against Ranked Opponents

MERIDIAN – The Co-Lin Baseball team hit the road for their last road non-conference games of the season as they faced a pair of ranked opponents in Pearl River and Meridian. The Wolves dropped their first game of the day, 4-0, against the No. 5 Wildcats, but rebounded for a 7-3 win over the No. 20 Eagles.

PEARL RIVER 4 CO-LIN 0

The Wildcats looked to get on the board in the top of the first as they get two baserunners on with one out, but the Wolves got a strikeout followed by a fielder's choice to keep the Wildcats off the board. The game saw neither team get a runner on base until the top of the fourth when the Wildcats loaded the bases with one out. However, the Wolves got out of the jam once again as they get a strikeout followed by a lineout to keep the game scoreless.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth when the Wildcats pushed across four runs to take a 4-0 lead over the Wolves. The Wolves looked to respond in the bottom of the sixth as Reise Thomas (Florence) hit a two-out single, but was then picked off to end the inning.

The Wolves looked to respond in the bottom of the seventh as they got back-to-back two-out singles by Trey Davidson (Brandon) and Evan Holifield (Stringer), but a strikeout brought the potential rally to an end. In the bottom of the eighth, the Wolves got a leadoff double by Sam Cook (Shubuta). After Gavin Bledsoe (Brandon) was brought in as a courtesy runner, Bradley Hanlon (Monroe, LA) hit a single to put two runners on with no outs. The Wildcats then forced back-to-back fielder's choices followed by a strikeout to keep the Wolves off the board. The Wolves were then retired in order in the bottom of the ninth as the Wildcats sealed the 4-0 win.

The Wolves totaled six hits during the game as Reise Thomas, Donovan Moore (Bude), Trey Davidson (Brandon), Evan Holifield, Sam Cook, and Bradley Hanlon had one hit each.

Cohen Weinhofer (Ocean Springs) got the start and took the loss (2-2) while pitching five innings allowing one earned run on four hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Lucas Harrington (Youngsville, LA) pitched three innings of relief allowing three earned runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts while Jacob Buffalo (Foxworth) pitched one inning of scoreless relief with one hit, one walk, and one strikeout.

CO-LIN 7 MERIDIAN 3

The second game of the day saw the Wolves take an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Reise Thomas and Tucker Jones (Brandon) hit back-to-back singles to start the game. After Jones stole second, Thomas advanced to third and then later in the inning, Thomas scored on an RBI groundout by Trey Davidson to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead.

The Wolves increased their lead with three runs in the top of the second as Dylan Wesson (Brandon) hit a leadoff double to get the offense started. After Wesson advanced to third on a groundout, Bradey White (Ethel) drew a walk to out two runners on with one out. Wesson then scored on a sacrifice bunt by Avery Griffin (Brookhaven) to increase the lead to 2-0. Thomas then followed with a double advancing to White to third while both White and Thomas then scored on a two-out, two-RBI triple by Jones increasing the lead to 4-0.

The Eagles then cut the lead in half with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second making the score, 4-2. The Wolves added a solo run in the top of the fifth as Jones drew a leadoff walk while Moore followed with a single to put two runners on with no outs. Moore was then forced out as Davidson reached on a fielder's choice while Jones advanced to third. Later in the inning, Jones stole home to give the Wolves a 5-2 lead.

The Wolves then added their final two runs in the top of the seventh as Jones hit a leadoff double to get the offense started. Later in the inning, Jones advanced to third as Davidson reached on an error while Evan Holifield singled to load the bases with one out for the Wolves. Lucas Harrington then delivered a pinch-hit, two-RBI single scoring Jones and Davidson and increasing the lead to 7-2.

The Eagles added a run on a two-out, RBI-single, but the Wolves got a strikeout to end the game and secure the 7-3 victory.

The Wolves totaled ten hits as a team with Tucker Jones going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while Reise Thomas had two hits with Donovan Moore, Evan Holifield, Dylan Wesson, Lucas Harrington, and Bradley Hanlon adding one hit each. Jones and Harrington led the Wolves in RBIs with two apiece while Davidson and Avery Griffin had one RBI each.

Jennings Kimbrell (Flowood) got the start and improved to 6-0 with the complete game effort allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits with three walks and five strikeouts.

Co-Lin improves to 16-9 overall and will return to action with their MACCC opener on the road at Coahoma. First pitch between the Wolves and the Tigers is set for 1 p.m., in Clarksdale.