Lady Bucs Drop Series to Wallace State

Tuscaloosa/Hanceville- The Shelton State softball team dropped all 4 games to the 11^th ranked Wallace State Lady Lions over the weekend (1-4, 4-5, 5-6, 7-8).

The Lady Bucs were haunted by errors throughout the series making 4 in the first 3 games. 3 of the 4 errors would lead to runs for Wallace State. Game 1 saw 2 runs cross thanks to an error, while the Lady Lions scored the go-ahead run-in Game 2 after an error in the top of the 7^th. An error in the bottom of the 6^th ignited a Lady Lion rally as they would score 4 runs in the inning to take a 6-3 lead.

Game 1:

Victoria Hagemann went all 7 innings allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, only 2 were earned. The game started quiet as neither team could push a run across until the 5^th inning, when the aforementioned errors came into play. A Natalie Liner error would start a rally for Wallace as it led to a 2-run double. The Lady Bucs would finally find offense in the 6^th as Chloe Mitchell drove in Layla Bradshaw, before being called out on a bang-bang play attempting to stretch it into a triple. The Lady Lions would extend the lead to 4-1 on a 2-run blast in the top half of the 7^th. The Lady Bucs would bring the game-tying run to the plate but Alana Spann would line out to end the threat.

Layla Bradshaw went 2-3 in the game while Willeshia Lang also added 2 hits.

Game 2:

The Lady Bucs lost a heartbreaker, giving up 3 runs with 2 outs in the top of the 7^th inning to fall 5-4 in game 2.

Mackenzie Harper went 4 and 2/3s in game giving up 2 runs on 1 hit while striking out 3. Lexi Darnell finished the game allowing  3 runs (0 earned) on 6 hits.

The Lady Bucs would strike first in the bottom of the 4^th as Alana Spann lead the inning off with a hit, before a Chloe Mitchell double. Willeshia Lang would hammer a 2-out base hit scoring Spann and Mitchell to give the Lady Bucs a 2-0 lead. Wallace would answer in the top of the 5^th as they pieced together 4 straight 2-out hits scoring 2 runs to even the score. Alana Spann would put Shelton back in front driving in Nataile Liner in the bottom of the 5^th. The Lady Bucs would have Wallace State down to their final out before a Chelsey Hogsed error would ignite a furious rally. The inning started with a flyout, followed by the error, a base hit and another fly out. Down to their final out the Lady Lions tied the game with a base hit and would take a 5-3 lead on a triple to right field.

The Lady Bucs were able to threaten in the 7^th on 3 hits but ended the game with the tying run on second base.

Alana Spann had a 3-4 game driving in 2 while scoring 1. Willeshia Lang accounted for the other Lady Buc runs.

Game 3:

Victoria Hagemann once again went the distance in game 3, giving 6 runs (4 earned) on 8 hits, striking out 3.

Following much of the same script, the Lady Bucs struck first on a Chloe Mitchell 2-out triple that scored Natalie Liner and Layla Bradshaw. Wallace would strike back in the bottom of the 4^th after stringing together a double and base hit. An error to lead off the bottom of the 6^th inning would start a 5 run explosion for the Lady Lions all without recording an out. The Lady Bucs would score one before loading the bases in the top of the 7^th inning. Lauren Coker would battle in a 9 pitch at-bat before flying out to the second baseman.

Chloe Mitchell went 3-4 with 3 RBI's. Layla Bradshaw added 2 hits.

Game 4: 

Unlike the other games in the series, the teams combined for 5 runs in the first inning. Alana Spann and Layla Bradshaw led the game off with back-to-back singles before scoring on consecutive groundouts and an error. Wallace State would answer with 3 runs in the bottom half, including a 2-run homerun that would give the Lions the lead for good. The Lady Bucs would draw even in the 2nd inning thanks to a Lauren Coker double, Jamie Hocutt walk, Chelsey Hogsed single, and Alana Spann RBI groundout. The tie would hold until the bottom of the 4th as the Lady Lions would string together 7 consecutive hits (4 singles, 2 triples, and a home run) to take an 8-3 lead. The Lady Bucs would cut into the lead in the 5th as Hogsed and Spann both reached base before Hogsed would score on a groundball. The Lady Bucs would threaten in the 7th as they scored 3 runs on 4 hits before flying out to center with the tying run on 2nd base. 

Mackenzie Harper gave up 5 runs on 5 hits while striking out 4. Lexi Darnell would not record an out, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits. Kaitlyn Powell pitched the final 2 and 2/3s giving up 0 runs on 1 hit. 

Alana Spann went 3-4 in the game with 2 runs scored. Layla Bradshaw had 2 hits and added 2 runs as well. Chloe Mitchell drove in 3 runs. 

For the Series: 

Chloe Mitchell (7-14) and Alana Spann (8-16) both hit .500 over the 4 game set while Mitchell was responsible for over half (7) of the teams 13 RBI's. Layla Bradshaw added 7 hits on 15 at-bats. Spann, Bradshaw, and Mitchell bat 1,2,3 for the Lady Bucs and accounted for 22 of their 35 hits over the series. 

The Lady Buc pitching staff gave 23 total runs, but only 16 of them were earned. Hagemann threw 13 innings over 2 games giving up 6 earned runs on 16 hits.