Bucs Sweep Calhoun; Tops 40 Wins

TUSCALOOSA - The 10th ranked Shelton State baseball team swept Calhoun Community College on Wednesday afternoon to remain in the hunt for the ACCC regular season championship.

Shelton State scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to post a 4-2 comeback win in game one.

The Bucs scored eight runs in the second inning for a 9-0 win in the nightcap. 

Freshman RHP Jackson Henderson, sophomore RHP JD Wilkins and freshman LHP Jack Sanderson combined for the Bucs eighth shutout of the season. 

Shelton State (41-11, 25-9 ACCC) topped the 40-win mark for the 10th time in program history, including two years in a row.

The Bucs also have 53 ACCC wins the last two seasons, setting the school record for most conference wins in a two-year span.

Shelton State, Gadsden State and Coastal Alabama South are battling for the regular season championship. Gadsden and Coastal South begin their series with one another on Thursday. 

Shelton State trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the sixth inning but scored three runs to take a 4-2 lead.

Freshman RF John Robicheaux drew a one out walk and freshman SS Slade Sullivan lined a single to center to put runners on the corners.

Ben Davis replaced Thomas Kerby on the mound. 

Sophomore C Lawson Neel executed a safety squeeze that scored Robicheaux with the tying run. An errant throw by Dean allowed Sullivan and Neel to move to second and third.

Sophomore SS Paxton Ponder walked to load the bases.

After an infield pop out, Henderson slapped a two-run single to left to score Sullivan and Neel to give the Bucs a 4-2 lead. 

John Michael Pickens (4-1) retired five of the six batters he faced for the win.

Davis (1-2) took the loss. 

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning. 

Ponder stroked a lead off double to left and moved the third on a ground out by sophomore CF Pierce Dutton. Henderson followed with RBI single to left to put the Bucs in front 1-0.

The lead was short-lived as Calhoun scored twice in the top of the sixth to grab a 2-1 lead

Bryce Persell opened the inning with a single to center and scored on Conner Phillips' RBI double to left.

Sam Hogue's sacrifice bunt moved Philips to third. 

Shelton State starter Mason Steele exited the game after 5 1/3 innings. 

Calhoun pinch hitter Max Morrison greeted Pickens with a squeeze bunt to score Phillips with the go ahead run.

Steele allowed two runs on four hits and added eight strikeouts, all coming in the first three innings.

There was no drama in game two.

The Bucs scored eight runs in the second inning en route to a 9-0 victory.

Freshman C Grant Browning led off with a single to center. After a wild pitch and fly out, the Bucs strung together five straight hits of Ray Anderson. 

Sophomore first baseman Tripp Gann followed with a single to right. Dutton and Sullivan added RBI singles to push the lead to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead.

Ponder drove in a run with a double to right center and sophomore LF Trenton Shirley added a two-run double to make it 5-0.

Freshman 2B James Graphos added an RBI single to center to extend the lead to 6-0. 

Gann capped the scoring with a two-run double to make it 8-0. Gann had two hits and two RBIs in the inning. 

Henderson (4-1) worked three scoreless innings for the win. 

The Bucs added a run in the fourth to push the lead to 9-0. 

Freshman DH Peyton Zupancic drew a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. He took third on Graphos' fly out to center and scored on a ground out by Browning.

Wilkins retired all nine batters he faced in three scoreless innings and two strikeouts. 

Sanderson worked a scoreless seventh with a pair of strikeouts. 

The series concludes on Sunday at Noon in Decatur.