Bucs Split ACCC Double Header with Pirates

TUSCALOOSA - Shelton State and Chattahoochee Valley split an ACCC double header on Thursday afternoon in two vastly different games.

Chattahoochee Valley (8-15, 4-2 ACCC) posted an 8-1 win in the opener as the Bucs made a season-high four errors.

The loss was the first of the season at home by Shelton State, who started with 14 straight home wins.

Shelton State (18-4, 4-2 ACCC) rebounded for a 10-0 win in the nightcap as the Bucs scored in five of the six innings.

After being held to one run on six hits in the first game, the Bucs scored three runs on four hits with two outs in the first inning to take a 3-0.

Sophomore center fielder Pierce Dutton stroked a two-out double to left field. Freshman second baseman James Graphos followed with a walk.

Sophomore left fielder Hayes Alford ripped a two-run double to left-center to give the Bucs their first lead of the day at 2-0. 

Alford has 13 hits and 11 RBIs in his last nine games.

Sophomore first baseman Brady Waugh doubled into the left field corner to score Alford to push the lead to 3-0.

The three-run first inning was more than enough run support for sophomore Mason Steele, who stymied the Pirates with five shutout innings.

Steele (1-0) faced the minimum through five innings. He allowed three singles and all three runners were erased i int the base paths. Sophomore catcher Lawson Neel threw out two base stealers and the Bucs turned the first of two double plays. 

The Bucs added a run in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead when Neel tripled and scored on a sac fly by sophomore right fielder Trenton Shirley.

Shelton State tacked on three more runs in the third to stretch the lead to 8-0.  Freshman third baseman Slade Sullivan and sophomore shortstop Paxton Ponder had back to back RBI singles. Sullivan scored on a wild pitch.

Shirley added an RBI double in the two-run fifth inning to make it 9-0.

Freshman Will Harrison tossed a scoreless sixth inning. After a leadoff walk, Harrison induced a double play and then got a fly out.

The Bucs ended the game via run-rule with a two-out run in the sixth. 

Sophomore second baseman Brexton Taft drew a two-out walk and scored on Sullivan's double to left-center.

Alford, Waugh and Sullivan all had two hits to lead the Bucs 11-hit attack.

Hunter Wippert (1-1) took the loss after he allowed seven runs in two innings.

Chattahoochee Valley scored five runs in the third inning en route to the 8-1.

A pair of errors by the Bucs and a two-run single by Travis Stauter accounted for the five runs.

Stauter hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to push the lead to 8-0. Stauter finished with three hits and four RBIs.

Freshman right-hander Eli Driskell (1-2) who allowed six runs, including five unearned runs, took the loss.

Gavin Blair (3-1) tossed his second straight complete game for the win.

Shelton State avoided the shutout with a run in the sixth inning. 

Dutton and Graphos had back to back singles and added a pair of stolen bases. Freshman John Robicheaux followed with a sac fly to score Dutton.

Dutton and Graphos both had two hits. Shirley and Sullivan accounted for the other two hits in game one.

The series concludes on Friday, March 14 with a double header in Phenix City.