Chesser lifts Wallace State baseball to series win over Vol State; No. 7 WSCC softball wins seven games in Atmore

HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Bailey Chesser is the latest Wallace State pitcher to dominate in the early going. The sophomore from Pinson Valley took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Sunday and combined with freshman Weston Bonner to toss a two-hit shutout against Volunteer State, lifting Wallace State baseball to a 3-0 victory and series win.
Chesser (1-0) struck out seven in seven scoreless innings, and Bonner closed the door over the final two innings, allowing only one hit.
“Bailey Chesser threw the best game he’s thrown since he’s been here, and Weston Bonner looked great in his first career outing,” said Wallace State coach Randy Putman. “To shut out any team this day and time is very difficult. Volunteer State came in here with what I consider a good offensive ballclub, and we were able to win the series. It was a good weekend for us.”
The teams split a doubleheader on Saturday with Wallace State (4-1) prevailing 7-5 in the opener. Volunteer State earned a 3-1 victory in the nightcap, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh.
Chesser made sure Wallace State prevailed in the series finale. Volunteer State managed only one baserunner against Chesser through the sixth inning with Gunner Osborne reaching on an error in the third.
Chesser struck out the side in the sixth before surrendering his first hit in the seventh, a single to Marlon Nava. Chesser danced around a single and a walk in the seventh to maintain the shutout.
Bonner, a freshman from Berry, preserved the shutout, earning his first save with a pair of scoreless innings. He became the third pitcher in Wallace State’s four wins to record a save, joining Wesley Waters and Adam Berryhill.
Wallace State scored one run in the third inning and two in the fifth, all off Volunteer State starter Matt Payne.
Jon Sumner finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored for Wallace State. Turner Vincent and Chris Blakey each had a double and Drake Tucker and Lance Cleveland each had a single.
Wallace State continues its homestand to begin the season with a doubleheader scheduled at 3 p.m. Wednesday against Northeast Mississippi. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Thursday.
Wallace State softball goes 7-1 in Atmore
Wallace State softball, ranked seventh nationally, exploded offensively over the weekend in the Creek Indian JUCO Classic in Atmore.
The Lady Lions (10-6) won seven of eight games in Atmore, scoring 72 runs and blasting seven home runs over the three-day tournament.
Wallace State’s bats were particularly hot on Friday. The Lady Lions combined for 50 runs and 46 hits in three wins over Faulkner State, Roane (Tenn.) State and Baton Rouge Community College. They beat Faulkner State 14-4, Roane State 18-7 and Baton Rouge CC 18-2.
Wallace State also collected wins against Navarro (Texas) College, Wallace-Dothan, Georgia Perimeter and Lamar State – Port Arthur.  Wallace State’s lone loss was a 2-0 defeat in extra innings to Mississippi Gulf Coast CC.
Wallace State freshman Abbie Ellison and sophomore Brooke Kinsey finished the tournament with 13 hits apiece.
Ellison was 13-for-31 with three doubles, a homer, seven RBIs and seven runs scored. She had three hits against Roane State and finished with a pair of hits in six different games. Kinsey was 13-for-26 with three doubles and seven RBIs. She went 4-for-5 with a pair of RBIs against Roane State and was 3-for-4 vs. Faulkner State with a pair of doubles and three RBIs.
Sophomore second baseman Mackenzie Hill finished the three-day event with 10 hits, including a pair of homers and eight RBIs. She had three hits apiece against Baton Rouge and Georgia Perimeter.
Sarah Jordan collected eight hits, including two doubles in the tournament, and had five RBIs.
Freshman Olivia Royals finished with two triples, a homer and eight RBIs for the Lady Lions, and Leisha Yamauchi had seven hits, including two doubles, and six RBIs. Sam Riley was 3-for-3 with three runs scored against Roane State and finished with six hits overall, Shelby Brown was 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBIs against Georgia Perimeter and Andrea McKenzie provided the offensive fireworks against Wallace-Dothan with a pair of homers and four RBIs.
Wallace State sophomore pitcher Rachel Ragland notched three victories in the tournament, improving to 4-4 on the season. Ragland tossed a two-hit shutout in the 5-0 win over Lamar State, striking out four. She also beat Faulkner State in a five-inning game and picked up a win in relief against Georgia Perimeter. She was the tough-luck losing pitcher in the 2-0 loss to Mississippi Gulf Coast in nine innings.
Amanda Medders (2-1) hurled her first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over Navarro College, throwing a four-hitter, while striking out four. She also earned the win against Roane State.
Wallace State freshman Katie Parr (1-0) recorded her first collegiate win with a complete-game effort against Wallace-Dothan. She scattered one run on three hits and struck out three.
Julia Dailey (2-0) was Wallace State’s winning pitcher against Baton Rouge CC. She allowed two runs on four hits and struck out three in the five-inning contest.
Wallace State travels to Texas on Friday as the Lady Lions visit Navarro College for a doubleheader before competing in the San Jacinto College tournament in Houston on Saturday and Sunday.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit wallacestate.edu. 
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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
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