Wallace State baseball gears up for ACCC/Region 22 tournament with DH split against Marion Military
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State’s baseball team has some momentum heading into this weekend’s Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC)/Region 22 tournament in Ozark after splitting a doubleheader at home Monday against Marion Military Institute.
Wallace State (24-22, 12-16 ACCC) exploded for a six-run fourth inning in Monday’s finale and prevailed 8-1, tallying the most runs the club has scored in a game since March 21 at Calhoun. Four different players recorded RBIs in the fourth as the Lions sent 10 batters to the plate at James C. Bailey Stadium in the regular-season finale for both teams.
“We have been showing some signs of life at the plate. I hope we are putting together a little confidence together here at the right time,” said Wallace State baseball coach Randy Putman. “We’ve accomplished two of our goals. One was to get into the conference tournament and the other was to finish the regular season with a winning record. We felt that was a big accomplishment for our team, especially with all of our freshmen and for the sophomores who missed out on it (the postseason) last year. It didn’t matter how we got into the tournament, whether through the back or front door, or the first or sixth seed.”
Wallace State, the ACCC North Division’s sixth seed, plays host Wallace Community College-Dothan at 9 a.m. Friday in a first-round tournament game. The Lions, who earned the No. 6 spot with a 4-1 victory at Shelton State over the weekend, will make their 24th postseason appearance in 26 seasons under Putman.
After a 7-2 loss in Monday’s opener, Wallace State’s bats heated up in the finale, especially in the profitable fourth inning.
With Wallace State nursing a 2-1 lead, sophomore second baseman Chris Blakey led off the fourth with a triple and scored on a Billy Reed RBI single. Reed stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error and scored on a Tanner Gardner sac fly for a 4-1 lead.
Lance Cleveland added an RBI single later in the inning, Drake Tucker followed with an RBI double and Oliver Francis capped the scoring with an RBI single. Reed, Tucker, Francis and Darian Prewett each had stolen bases in the inning.
Tucker finished 2 for 3 with a double, single and RBI. Francis had a pair of hits, including an RBI double, and Cleveland had a pair of hits, including the RBI single in the fourth.
Freshman Adam Berryhill was the winning pitcher in relief for the Lions, earning his first collegiate victory. He tossed 3 2/3 perfect innings, striking out three. Berryhill relieved Weston Bonner in the third and escaped a one-out, bases loaded jam with a strikeout and a lineout to shortstop.
Wallace State dropped Monday’s opener, which was originally scheduled for April 18.
Marion Military scored one run in the first, three runs in the second and two more in the fourth.
Ryan Goodman had a pair of hits for Wallace State, including a two-run single.
Cleveland finished 3 for 4 with a double, Stephen Dobbs had a pair of hits and Jon Sumner and Turner Vincent each had a double for the Lions. Blakey and Tucker added a single apiece.
Marion Military’s Daniel Faulkner hurled a complete game for the Tigers.
Wallace State will seek its first conference title since 2006.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu.
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8443 direct
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu