Wallace State baseball advances to ACCC/Region 22 title game; WSCC golf, softball begin pursuit of national titles
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State baseball’s latest wild victory has pushed the Lions in the ACCC/Region 22 tournament title game in Ozark. The sixth-seeded Lions (29-23) rallied for three, two-out runs in the top of the ninth on Tuesday afternoon, eliminating Faulkner State with a 7-5 victory at Eagle Stadium.
Wallace State now plays Chattahoochee Valley Community College for the conference crown beginning on Tuesday night. The Lions need to beat the Pirates twice to earn their first conference championship since 2006 and eighth overall. If Wallace State forces an extra game, the championship is scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m.
After clinching a postseason berth on the final day of the regular season, Wallace State’s baseball team has picked the perfect time to string together its longest winning streak of the season, a five-game stretch.
Coach Randy Putman’s squad lost its tournament opener last Friday to Wallace-Dothan, but defeated Marion Military Institute and Wallace-Selma on consecutive days in the elimination bracket before collecting a pair of victories over top-seeded Shelton State and L.B. Wallace on Monday.
Wallace State won its fifth straight in dramatic fashion against Faulkner State. The Lions led 4-2 after five innings behind sophomore pitcher Hunter Belue.
Faulkner State answered back, however, tying the game at 4-4 in the top of the seventh and grabbing a 5-4 edge in the eighth.
Wallace State waited until there were two outs in the top of the ninth before continuing its magic. The Lions tied the game and reclaimed the lead on consecutive bases-loaded walks for a 6-5 advantage. They added an insurance run on an RBI hit by pitch for a 7-5 lead after six straight batters reached base.
Faulkner State managed only one base runner in the bottom of the ninth.
Wallace State is making its second ACCC/Region 22 tournament game appearance for the second time in four seasons and its 24th postseason appearance in 26 seasons under Putman.
Wallace State golf atop leaderboard after Day 1 of NJCAA Division I national tournament
As Wallace State’s baseball team seeks to earn its eighth league title and advance to the NJCAA Division I World Series, the college’s golf and softball teams are in full national tournament mode.
Wallace State’s golf team is off to an impressive start in its pursuit of a national title. The Lions, last season’s national runner-up, are in first place after their opening round Tuesday in the NJCAA Division I national championship. Wallace State shot an impressive 1-over par 289 at the Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kansas.
Wallace State finished runner-up last season for the third time in program history and has a strong group seeking the program’s first national crown in Kansas.
Wallace State’s Cooper Brown was the individual national champion last season and was named the Arnold Palmer Award winner after finishing as the tournament’s low medalist.
Brown has continued his strong play on the national level. The sophomore from Canada carded a 2-under 70 on Tuesday, placing him in a three-way tie for second after the opening 72 holes.
Freshman Sylas Elliott carded an even-par 72 for the Lions in Kansas, while Will McDowell shot a one-over 73.
Eli Marty finished with a two-over 74 for Wallace State and Walker Gordon had a 4-over 76 after his first round.
Wallace State golf is competing in its 20th NJCAA Division I national tournament under coach Dan York. The Lions have already won the ACCC/Region 22 title this season and finished fourth in the NJCAA District IV tournament.
Wallace State is among 22 teams competing in Kansas.
Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College is in second place behind Wallace State and Eastern Florida State and Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College are tied for third.
No. 2 WSCC softball seeks 3rd national title
Wallace State’s softball team begins its chase for a third NJCAA Division I national title and second in three years under coach Jayne Clem on Wednesday in St. George, Utah.
For all the Lady Lions have achieved at the national tournament under Clem, they’ve never been as highly-seeded as they are this season.
No. 2 Wallace State (62-12) plays No. 15 Wabash Valley (Ill.) College in a first-round game Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Central at the Canyons Complex.
Wallace State won the national title in 2013 as a No. 8 seed. The Lady Lions are making their third tournament appearance in four seasons and ninth overall. Wallace State has placed no worse than third during its last five trips to Utah, finishing as the national champ in 2013 and 2008 and as the national runner-up in 2010 and 2009.
Wallace State advanced to St. George, Utah, in dramatic fashion on April 27. Sophomore second baseman Mackenzie Hill scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch to send Wallace State to a 5-4 victory in extra innings over rival Shelton State in the ACCC/Region 22 title game at Alabaster. Hill and the Lady Lions battled back from the elimination bracket, winning five straight games, to earn the ninth league title for Wallace State.
Hill, a Lawrence County grad, is hitting .366 for Wallace State with a pair of homers and 55 RBIs out of the leadoff spot. She leads the team with 62 runs and 23 doubles.
Freshman third baseman Katie Parr is hitting .396 with 11 homers and 55 RBIs for the Lady Lions, while Sam Riley, the ACCC tournament MVP, has nine homers and 41 RBIs.
Wallace State is led on the mound by the sophomore duo of Amanda Medders and Rachel Ragland.
Medders is one of the few 30-game winners in Wallace State history. She enters the national tournament with a 31-4 record and a 1.72 ERA.
Ragland has been as equally impressive. She is 25-6 with a 1.17 ERA, seven saves and 205 strikeouts.
The double-elimination tournament concludes Saturday.
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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Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu