TUSCALOOSA – The Shelton State offense posted 19 runs and 27 hits in a pair of blowout wins over rival Wallace State Hanceville on Saturday afternoon.
Shelton State (24-14, 15-5 ACCC) posted a 9-0 win in game one and closed out the double header with a 10-0 run-rule win in the nightcap.
Sophomore first baseman Wesley Helms led the Bucs with five hits in the double header, including 4-for-4 performance in game two.
Freshman DH Mason Steele had four hits, including two triples, and reached base in all six plate appearances.
Sophomore shortstop Nick Wilson, sophomore second baseman Kyle Morrison and sophomore third baseman Davis Randolph all collected three hits in the doubleheader.
The Bucs also tossed back-to-back shutouts, giving the team five shutouts this season.
Freshmen right-handers JD Wilkins and Salvy Urso combined on the three-hit shutout in game one.
Wilkins (5-2) faced one over the minimum in five scoreless frames. He held the Lions to one hit, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Urso tossed two scoreless innings with one strikeout.
Hanceville starter Colton Dempsey (0-1) was charged with the loss in game one. He allowed seven runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Freshmen right-handers Steele and Bryant Akridge combined on the three-hit shutout in game two.
Steele (5-0) held the Lions to two hits in five innings, with four strikeouts and four walks.
He also helped his own cause at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored, two triples and two RBIs.
Akridge finished off the shutout with one scoreless inning and one strikeout.
Hanceville’s Cole Peasley (2-3) took the loss in game two. He allowed seven runs and eight hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Wallace State Hanceville (15-24, 10-10 ACCC) managed only six hits in the two losses.
The Bucs sent 13 batters to the plate in a seven-run second inning to take control of game one.
Wilson stroked a leadoff double to left and moved to third on sophomore left fielder Christian Pritchett’s bunt single.
Steele reached on a bunt single that scored Wilson with the first run.
Freshman Paxton Ponder brought in another run when he reached on a throwing error on a sac bunt. Sophomore catcher Whitt Winfield made it 3-0 with a sac fly to left.
Freshman center fielder Pierce Dutton and sophomore Jordan Evans followed with back-to-back RBI doubles to stretch the lead to 5-0.
Morrison capped the scoring when he launched a two-run home run to right to make 7-0. It was his team-leading eight home run of the season.
Freshman Brady Waugh’s pinch-hit RBI single in the fourth inning extended the lead to 8-0.
Helms, Morrison and Wilson collected three straight hits to push the lead to 9-0 in the fifth inning.
Shelton State followed the same script in the run-rule win in the second game.
The Bucs scored three runs in the second inning and pushed four more across in the third to take a 7-0 lead.
Helms and Wilson collected back-to-back singles to lead off the second. After a wild pitch, Pritchett drove in the first run with a sac fly to left-center.
Steele followed with a RBI triple to center and Randolph added an RBI single to left to make 3-0.
Evans led off the third inning with a single to left and took second on a error by the left fielder. He then stole third base and scored on an errant throw by the catcher.
Helms lined a one-out single to center. After a fly out, Pritchett and Steele ripped consecutive RBI triples to make it 6-0. Randolph followed with his second straight RBI single to extend the lead to 7-0.
The Bucs made it 8-0 with a two-out run in the fifth. Steele and Davis stroked back-to-back singles and Dutton delivered a two-out single to right to score Steele.
Shelton State scored the final two runs on two hits and two walks in the sixth.
Morrison walked and moved to third on Helms second double of the game. Morrison trotted home on a passed ball.
After Wilson walked, freshman pinch hitter Hayden Turner ended the game with an RBI single.
The Bucs return to the diamond on Monday, April 8 with a 9-inning game against Marion Military.
GAME NOTES:
Shelton State (24-14, 15-5 ACCC) is in sole possession of second place in the ACCC Division I standings. The Bucs are two games behind league-leading Coastal Alabama South (20-16, 17-3 ACCC).
Snead State (23-13, 14-6 ACCC) and Southern Union (26-11, 14-6 ACCC) are tied for third in the standings.
Shelton State took three of four from Wallace State Hanceville in the series.
The Bucs outscored the Lions 28-5 in the four games. Dating back to the ninth inning of game two, Shelton State outscored Hanceville 23-0 over the final 13 innings.
Shelton State is 7-1 in the last eight games with Hanceville.
Shelton State has won four of its five ACCC series this season. The Bucs have series wins over Southern Union (3-1), Gadsden State (3-1), Calhoun (4-0) and Wallace State Hanceville (3-1). The Bucs split the series with Snead State.
Shelton State recorded two shutouts in Saturday’s doubleheader. The Bucs posted a 9-0 win in game one and 10-0 win in game two.
The Bucs have recorded five shutouts this season, with wins over Gadsden State (11-0), Calhoun (14-0), Snead State (6-0) and Hanceville (9-0; 10-0).
Shelton State has three straight home shutouts against ACCC opponents, including wins over Snead State and Hanceville. The Bucs have hurled 20 consecutive scoreless innings in those three wins.
Wilkins and Steele both picked up their fifth wins of the season, tying freshman RHP Caleb Pittman for the team lead.
Wilkins faced one over the minimum in five scoreless innings against the Lions. He allowed one hit, walked two and struck out five.
Steele allowed five base runners in the first two innings, but settled in and tossed five scoreless innings. He held the Lions to two hits and added four strikeouts and four walks.
Shelton State pitchers limited Wallace State Hanceville to six total hits on Saturday. The Lions had four singles and two doubles. The Lions only put four base runners into scoring position, and only one runner reached third base.
Shelton State turned one double play in each game and now has 27 double plays this year. The Bucs lead the ACCC and ranks second nationally in double plays.
Shelton State collected four triples in the doubleheader, including three triples in game two. Sophomore centerfielder Houston Evans stroked his first career triple in game one. Steele had two triples in game two. Pritchett had one triple in the night. Pritchett and Steele had back-to-back RBI triples in the four-run third inning.
The Bucs scored 10 of its 19 runs in the second inning on Saturday. The team combined for 10 runs on 10 hits in the second inning in the two games. Shelton State scored seven runs in the second inning in game one and added three runs in game two.
Helms was 5-for-7 with three runs scored and two doubles on Saturday. He was 4-for-4 with three runs and two doubles in game two.
Morrison reached base five times on Saturday and has now reached base safely in 28 consecutive games. He belted two-run home run in game one, his team-leading eighth of the season.
Wilson went 3-for-6 and reached base six times in the two games. He had three runs, two walks and one stolen base.
In addition to tossing five scoreless innings, Steele reached base in all six plate appearances in Saturday. He went 4-for-4 with four runs scored, three RBIs, two triples and two walks.
Randolph was 3-for-3 with two RBIs in game two. He had RBI singles in the second and third innings. He had five hits, three RBIs and scored two runs in three games this week.
Gann had a pinch-hit single in game one. He was 3-for-3 in three pinch-hit opportunities against Hanceville. He has five hits in his last six at-bats, including a two-run home run.
Waugh had a pinch-hit single in game one.
Houston Evans had his first career triple in game one.
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