Bucs Use Ninth Inning Rally to Earn Split

HANCEVILLE - The fifth-ranked Shelton baseball team scored four runs in the ninth inning for a 5-3 comeback win over rival Wallace State Hanceville on Thursday afternoon.

The Bucs trailed 3-1 entering the final inning and scored four runs of closer Cody Lee for the win.

Shelton State (29-7, 13-5 ACCC) put the first three batters on base. Sophomore second baseman Brexton Taft drew a walk and sophomore left fielder Tripp Gann was hit by a pitch.

Lee came out of the bullpen to replace Druw Smith, and  promptly walked freshman catcher Grant Browning to load the bases.

Lee then struck out freshman shortstop Slade Sullivan for the first out. Sophomore right fielder Trenton Shirley delivered the he big hit in the inning with a two-run double to center to score Taft and Gann and tie the game at 3-3.

Browning scored the go-ahead run when he avoided the tag at home on soohomore pinch hitter Hayes Alford's RBI fielders choice. 

Sophomore centerfielder Pierce Dutton delivered his leading fifth sac fly to score Shirley and push the lead to 5-3.

The game did not end without drama in the bottom of the ninth.

Hanceville (22-12, 10-8 ACCC) loaded the bases an error and two singles against freshman right hander Kenneth Diddell. 

Diddell (3-0) got out the jam with two strikeouts and a foul out to end the game. 

Lee (1-2) took the loss.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the seventh inning as both starters dominated. 

Sophomore right hander Mason Steele tossed five no-hit innings with five strikeouts before exiting the game with cramps.

Hanceville sophomore right hander Luke Fernandez allowed two singles in seven scoreless innings. He struck out seven and walked five. He had three walks and three strikeouts in a 29- pitch fifth inning to keep the game scoreless.

The Lions scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 3-0 lead. 

Perry drove in the first run with an RBI single to right. Riley Jackson reached on a fielder's choice ground out, and another run scored on a throwing error by Taft, who was knocked down at second base on Perry"s hard slide.

The Bucs got a run back in the eighth inning to pull to within 3-1.

Sullivan led off with a single to right and scored on Steele's one-out single. Steele's hit extended his on-base streak to 17 consecutive games. It was also the Bucs first hit of the day with runners in scoring position. 

Shelton State was 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position and hit into five double plays in the two games.

Hanceville won the opener in similar fashion, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 5-4 win.

Casen Heaps' three-run home run provided the winning margin. It was his first career home run.

His brother, Brayden Heaps pitched two scoreless innings for his first career win. 

Sophomore lefty John Michael Pickens (2-1) took the loss.

The Bucs loaded the bases in the ninth off Lee but could not cash in. Lee picked up his league-leading sixth save despite a shaky seventh inning.  

The game ended when Gann flied out to the warning track in right field.

Shelton State scored in each of the first three innings to take a 4-0 lead.

The Bucs scored two times in the first inning without a hit, taking advantage of a hit batter, walk and error. Graphos plated a run with a sacrifice fly.

Steele drew a bases-loaded walk in the third inning to make it 3-0.

Sophomore third baseman Brady Waugh extended the lead to 4-0 in the third inning with his second home run of the season. It was his first career home run in conference play.

Lee's RBI single in the fifth inning cut the deficit to 4-1. In addition to the save, he had three hits in the opener

The two teams will complete the series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. double header in Tuscaloosa.