Bucs Win a Pair of 1-Run Games

WADLEY - The eighth ranked Shelton State baseball team picked up a pair of one-run wins against Southern Union in an ACCC double header on Thursday.

The Bucs posted a 3-2 win in game and closed out the doubleheader with a 4-3 win in game two.

Shelton State (38-10, 22-8 ACCC) remains in a first place tie with Gadsden State and Coastal South in the conference standings.

Southern Union (24-23, 15-15 ACCC) remains in a three-way tie for fifth place in the league standings.

The Bucs jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the opener. They loaded the bases in the second inning and got an RBI ground out from freshman SS Slade Sullivan and a sacrifice fly from sophomore 3B Brady Waugh.

Freshman RF Jackson Henderson's sixth home run of the season made it 3-0 in the third.

Southern Union got on the board with a run in the fourth inning on Braydon Devine's RBI single. 

Shelton State starter Mason Steele avoided further damage when he got Leonard to hit into a pitcher-to-catcher-to-first double play to end the threat.

Steele (5-0) allowed one and three hits with four strikeouts and three walks for the win. 

Freshman RHP Kenneth Diddell took over on the mound in the sixth and allowed a leadoff home run to

Haze McCorkle that cut the lead to 3-2.

Diddell allowed two more hits and turned the game over to sophomore LHP John Michael Pickens, who struck out pinch hitter Andrew Pitts to end the threat.

Pickens struck out the side in the seventh inning for his third save.

The Bucs rallied for a 4-3 win in the nightcap. 

Southern Union scored two runs in the first inning off freshman LHP Jack Sanderson, who was making his first career start. 

Santiago Pacheco and McCorkel drew back to back walks to start the game. 

After a double steal and strikeout, Tuscaloosa native Ben Arendale hit a long fly ball into the right field corner that was caught by Henderson. Both runners scored on the play giving the Bison a 2-0 lead.

The Bucs had three hits and five total base runners through five innings and was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. 

Things changed quickly in the sixth. 

Sophomore CF Pierce Dutton ripped a leadoff double down the left field line and freshman 2B James Graphos followed with an RBI single to put the Bucs on the board. 

Freshman catcher Grant Browning followed with a base hit to chase starter Baylor Homesley.

Noah Smith took over on the mound and allowed an RBI single to Sullivan and RBI ground out to Waugh giving the Bucs a 3-2 lead.

Sophomore RHP JD Wilkins tossed three scoreless innings and escaped bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning when the Bucs turned their third double play of the day.

Wilkins left the game when Cannon  Miller opened the sixth inning with a double.

Sophomore RHP Jeremy O'Quinn took over on the mound and got two strikeouts before Devine tied game with a two-out single.

The Bucs regained the lead with a run in the eighth inning. 

Browning collected his third hit of the game with a leadoff single to left. Sophomore Lawson Neel pinch ran for him at first base. 

Steele drew a walk and Sullivan bunted both runners into scoring position. Waugh walked to load the bases.

Josh Holley came on with the bases loaded and pinch-hitter Tripp Gann delivered an RBI single on the first pitch to give the Bucs a 4-3 lead. Holley retired the next two batters to avoid further damage. 

Gann is 5-for-7 as a pinch hitter this season and has 12 career pinch hits.

O'Quinn worked a scoreless eighth and tuned the game over to Pickens in the ninth 

Crook delivered lead off single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Devine.

After a wild pitch moved the tying to third, Pickens struck out the next two hitters for his fourth save of the year and second of the day.

In two appearances on Thursday, Pickens retired seven of the eight batters he faced and struck out six.

The two teams will wrap up the series with a Saturday doubleheader at 2 p.m. in Tuscaloosa.