No. 1 WSCC softball wins four games before falling in NFCA Leadoff Classic championship over weekend; WSCC baseball wins one behind Bennett’s strong outing

HANCEVILLE – Wallace State’s defending national champion softball team continued its grueling non-conference schedule over the weekend, finishing runner-up in the NFCA Junior College Leadoff Classic at Columbus, Ga.
The top-ranked Lady Lions won four of six games in the tournament, beating Muskegon (Mich.) CC, Des Moines (Iowa) Area CC, Northwest Florida State and Blinn (Texas) College. Wallace State lost to LSU-Eunice in the championship game, falling to the Lady Bengals 6-4 in eight innings. LSU-Eunice is the defending NJCAA Division II national champ, while Wallace State carries the Division I torch.
Freshmen Mackenzie Hill and Andrea McKenzie had solid weekends at the plate for Wallace State. Hill, a Lawrence County grad, went 9-for-22 with a pair of homers and three RBIs. McKenzie, a Florida native, finished with seven hits, including a pair of doubles, four RBIs and four runs scored.
McKenzie led the offensive onslaught against Muskegon, finishing 4-for-5, as Wallace State (12-12) pounded out 16 hits, including three home runs. Sabrina Russell cranked her first homer of the year, Isabella Campbell hit her second of the tournament and Hannah Harper blasted her first career homer—a three-run shot—off the bench. Russell finished with a pair of hits, including the homer, and three RBIs, Hill had three hits and Sarah Jordan was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Paige Browning (2-0) was the winning pitcher against Muskegon, allowing only one run on three hits in a complete-game effort. She struck out seven and walked three.
Pleasant Grove native Rachel Ragland went the distance in a 5-1 win over Des Moines, scattering three hits and striking out five.
Russell, McKenzie and Madeline Lee each had run-scoring singles in support of Ragland.
Wallace State, which played all weekend without injured slugger Kori Benson, continued to use the long ball in its favor in a 5-4 triumph over Northwest Florida State as Lee, Hill, and Jordan each connected. Lee finished with two RBIs and Campbell added one.
Amanda Medders pitched a complete game against Northwest Florida State, yielding four runs on eight hits, while striking out five.
Ragland (3-4) had her most effective outing thus far in 2014 during the semifinal round against Blinn College. She threw another complete game, limiting Blinn College to only one run on four hits. Ragland struck out three and walked three.
Russell had a pair of doubles and collected two RBIs against Blinn, McKenzie added a run-scoring double and Hill, Ragland and Annie Holcomb each had a single.
In the championship game, Lee and McKenzie had a solo homer apiece, Jordan was 1-for-2 with an RBI, Hill was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Campbell finished with a single and a run scored.
Campbell hit her second homer of the season in a 4-3 loss to San Jacinto College to open the tournament.
During the season’s opening month, Lee is hitting .420 with six homers and 20 RBIs for Wallace State, while Hill is hitting .353 with three homers and 11 RBIs.
Wallace State travels to Volunteer State on Tuesday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
Wallace State baseball drops series to Snead State
Wallace State baseball opened Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) play over the weekend, dropping two of three games to Snead State.
The Lions won the second game, 4-2, behind a dominant outing from redshirt sophomore Grant Bennett. The Hazel Green native tossed a complete game, striking out seven and scattering two runs on six hits.
Bennett, who was 7-1 with a 2.30 ERA in 2012 as a second-team All-ACCC Northern Division member, redshirted last season because of an arm injury. He looked like his old self against the Parsons, providing the Lions (7-11, 1-2 ACCC) with their most dominant start during the season’s first month.
Fellow sophomore Colt Buttram continued his strong start to the season, finishing 2-for-4 in the win with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Buttram also had three RBIs in the opener Friday, a 6-5 loss, raising his average to .395. He also has a homer and 10 RBIs this season.
Dalton Carriker was 2-for-5 with a double and two runs in the win, Drake Tucker finished with a pair of hits, an RBI, a stolen base and a run, Oliver Francis singled, scored and stole a base and Luke Porter finished 1-for-3.
Wallace State lost the series opener at Boaz in heartbreaking fashion, giving up a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth after the Lions had rallied for three runs in the top half of the frame.
Porter had three hits, including a double, and an RBI in the 6-5 loss.
Wallace State lost the series wrap-up on Saturday, 5-3. Snead State’s Reid Bright pitched a seven-inning complete game, striking out nine and surrendering three runs on four hits.
Bennett had a multi hit game for Wallace State. Tucker was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and Porter added a single.
Wallace State continues conference play Friday at Shelton State for a 1 p.m. affair. The rivals follow with a twinbill at James C. Bailey Stadium on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
Wallace State coach Randy Putman is now three wins shy of 900 career victories at Wallace State.
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
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