WESSON – The Co-Lin Wolfpack rallied to earn a split with the Holmes Bulldogs. The Bulldogs rallied in the seventh inning to take the opener 7-6. The Wolfpack held on to take a 5-4 win in the nightcap on Saturday, April 23.

Holmes 7, Co-Lin 6 

Matthew Mordecai fired the Wolves up in the bottom of the first inning hitting a solo blast to left, giving Co-Lin an early 1-0 lead.

In the third, Champ Davison smashed an RBI double to score Austin Irby who led off the inning with a walk. Mordecai followed with an infield single that landed him safely on first, and moved Davison to third. Tyler McLeod reached base on a fielder’s choice and brought Davison home giving the Wolves a 3-0 lead. After Jackson Twitty moved the runners with a sacrifice fly, Justin Oliver hit an infield single that plated Mordecai. Reed Taylor brought in McLeod for the fourth run of the inning for the Wolves on a sacrifice fly extending the lead to 5-0.

Holmes got on the board with a run in the fourth as Collin Merritt hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field that scored Corbin Jamison.

In the bottom of the inning, Co-Lin stretched the lead to 6-1 after Austin Irby hit a solo homer to right field.

The Bulldogs battled back in the sixth inning. Sloan Dieter singled to left with a ground ball that scored Jamison. Dieter scored later in the inning, after a routine ground ball fielding error by the Wolves, and narrowed the lead to just 6-3.

Holmes added two more runs in the seventh to cut the Wolfpack lead to 6-5. Tyler Hines led off the inning with a walk for the Bulldogs. Geoffery King brought in Hines’ pinch runner, Tyrance Carr, on a groundout to second. The Wolves then intentionally walked Dieter to load the bases. Co-Lin pitcher Miles Thomas hit Merritt to bring in second and final run of the inning.

In the top of hte ninth the Bulldogs rallied to take a 7-6 lead. Merritt singled to right field followed by Jaylan Baker reaching on an error. The Wolves intentionally walked a player to load the bases. Hines stepped to the plate and ripped a double to left that scored both Merritt and Baker giving Holmes a 7-6 lead.

The bottom of the ninth looked promising for Co-Lin. Reed Taylor led off with hard hit double to center field. Courtesy runner Lee Smith advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kewaun May was eventually walked putting runners on the corners with no outs for the Wolves. Holmes intentionally walked Irby to load the bases. Davison flied out to center field, but the ball did not appear deep enough for Smith to tag up from third. Mordecai followed with a shallow fly ball once again to short to send the runner. McLeod struck out to end the game giving the Bulldogs a comeback victory, 7-6.

Mordecai led the Wolves at the dish with two hits and one RBI off his solo homerun. Taylor and Davison doubled. Twitty, Irby and Oliver added support with a single apiece.

A host of Bulldogs finished the game with one hit each. Merritt and Tyler Hines both drove in two RBIs. Luke Lambert joins Hines as the only two Bulldogs with doubles.

Austin Douglas suffered the loss for the Wolves giving up two runs (one earned) on two hits and walking one in one inning of work. Starter Miles Thomas allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits, five runs (three earned), walked four and struck out two in 6.2 innings. Austin Odom also saw time on the hill for Co-Lin and struck out three in 1.1 innings.

Michael Harrison got the win for Holmes giving up no runs on one hit, striking out four and walking one in 5.0 innings. Starter Scott Shearer gave up six earned runs on hits, struck out five and walked two.

Co-Lin 5, Holmes 4 

Holmes took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Sloan Dieter doubled to left scoring Christian Smith and Corbin Jamison. Smith was walked and Jamison reached after being hit by a pitch.

The Wolves answered in the bottom of the first after Jackson Twitty doubled and brought in Champ Davison. Davison reached base with an infield single.

Co-Lin tied the game at 2-all in the bottom of the third. Austin Irby drew a walk and advanced to third on Matthew Mordecai’s single. Irby scored after a double steal resulted in Mordecai being thrown out at second.

In the fourth, Tyler McLeod hit an infield single and later scored on a throwing error by the Bulldogs giving Co-Lin a 3-2 lead.

The lead was extended in the fifth. Irby led things off for the Wolves with ground ball back up the middle for a single. After stealing second, Davison moved Irby to third on a sacrifice. Mordecai brought Irby home with a sacrifice fly. Reed Taylor kept the momentum going with a line drive double to left field. Jackson Twitty followed with a single to right that plated Taylor giving the Wolves a 5-2 lead.

The Bulldogs made a push in the sixth inning after a fielding error by the Wolves plated both Jamison and King to close the Co-Lin lead to 5-4.

In the seventh, Holmes’ lead off hitter drew a walk, but the Bulldogs were unable to capitalize.

Taylor and Twitty (2 rBIs)both finished the game leading the Wolves at the plate with a pair of doubles. Mordecai finished with one hit and one RBI. Irby, Davison, and McLeod each finished the game with a single each.

Dylan Creel finished the game with two hits for Holmes and led the team. Dieter added a double and the teams only two RBIs. Collin Merritt finished the game with one single.

Starter J.D. Evans got the win for the Wolves giving up three runs (two earned) on four hits, striking out two and walking two in 5.0 innings. Tanner Jones came in and earned the save for the Wolves after throwing the final 2.0 innings. Jones did not give up a hit, gave up one unearned run, walked one and struck out one.

Starter Shelby Craddock absorbed the loss for the Bulldogs after throwing 4.2 innings. He gave up seven hits, five runs (four earned), struck out twoo and walked three.