WESSON — Coached by Copiah-Lincoln Community College baseballcoaches Keith Case and Bryan Nobile, the 2005 Wesson Warriors havebegun Cotton State League action. Saturday afternoon on SullivanField, the Warriors swept the Pearl Sluggers behind the arms ofpitchers Kyle Fairley and Will Buckels to improve their record to3-4 overall.

The Warriors resume play at Southwest Community College Tuesdayevening, beginning at 4:00, for a doubleheader.

WESSON 10, PEARL 2.

Fairley, a Co-Lin signee out of Yazoo City’s Manchester Academy,overwhelmed the Sluggers in the first game with a combination offastballs and changeups that kept the visitors guessing.

At the plate Robert Young (Southwest) led the Warriors withthree singles and a towering two run homer. Young has signed withBelhaven. Rising Co-Lin sophomores Cody Cunningham and RyanWilliams added two singles and a stolen base. Brookhaven Academyproduct and Co-Lin signee Cole Hodges added an RBI single.

“I thought Kyle did a good job today for us,” said Warriorscoach Keith Case. “He pitched well.”

Fairley went the distance, striking out five in seveninnings.

WESSON 4, PEARL 1

In game two, Buckels used his strong arm to shock the Sluggers.The McCall Creek native struck two Sluggers out to gain his firstWooden bat league win of the season.

“I just tried to throw strikes and fill the zone up,” saidBuckles after the contest. “Our defense played well, and our teamgot job done.”

Buckels a rising Co-Lin sophomore, was on the mound for thesecond time, since helping Co-Lin to a fourth place finish in theNJCAA Division II World Series. Buckels beat Chesapeake (Md.) twoweeks ago in the series at Millington, Tennessee.

“It feels good to win,” added Buckels.

First baseman Xavier Qualls led the Warriors at the plate with asingle, a double, and a stolen base. Garrett Jones, Josh Logan, andFairley all hit safely.

Eighteen players make up the Wesson Warriors team. They includecollege level and high school players: Michael Thompson, KoryMoore, Ryan Williams, Cody Cunningham, Tyler Williford, ColeHodges, Ryan Hoben, Will Buckels, Garrett Jones, Xavier Qualls,Derek Thompson, Kyle Fairley, Matthew Tubbs, Jeremy Boler, JosephLangham, Robert Young, and Lance Deville.

The Cotton State League season, featuring wooden bats, runsthrough mid July.