Wallace State baseball still alive in ACCC/Region 22 tournament after knocking off pair of No. 1 seeds
HANCEVILLE, ALA. – Wallace State’s baseball team keeps surviving and advancing at the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC)/Region 22 tournament in Ozark.
The Lions reeled off two more impressive wins in the elimination bracket Monday, knocking off rival Shelton State and L.B. Wallace — both top-seeded teams in the tournament.
After losing its tournament opener on Friday, sixth-seeded Wallace State (28-23) has won four consecutive games in Ozark and is one win away from making its second ACCC tournament championship game in four seasons.
“We are playing with a lot of excitement, energy and enthusiasm. We’re swinging the bats with a lot of confidence. This is how we were playing before all of the snow came earlier this year. We’re playing this tournament like a lot of old Wallace State teams did,” said Wallace State coach Randy Putman, a NJCAA Hall of Fame member. “I’ve been told we are the first team in tournament history to eliminate both No. 1 seeds. If that’s true, that’s a big accomplishment.”
Wallace State sophomore hurler Landon Hughes set the tone on Monday with a complete-game effort against Shelton State. He allowed only a pair of runs as Wallace State prevailed 6-2.
Hughes, a Georgia native, improved to 8-5 on the season and went the distance on only two days’ rest.
“The other day I was talking to the team about Wallace State players in past years who have been at their best during the conference tournament. They created special moments. Landon Hughes told me he wanted to be talked about in the future as having one of those special moments,” said Putman, who has led Wallace State to the postseason in 24 of 26 seasons. “I told Landon he definitely earned it after today. We’ll be talking about him in the future. He’s a bulldog on the mound for us. He’s a competitor.”
After Hughes stymied Shelton State’s bats, Wallace State continued its strong run with a wild 12-10 victory over L.B. Wallace, rallying for a 10-run sixth inning to overcome an 8-2 deficit.
Wallace State began its tournament winning streak with a 6-4 victory over Marion Military Institute on Saturday and followed it with a 15-1 win against Wallace-Selma on Saturday, posting a season high in runs.
Wallace State, the lone North Division team remaining in the tournament, will play Faulkner State at 1 p.m. Tuesday in an elimination game. The winner will advance to play Chattahoochee Valley CC, the South Division’s No. 2 seed, at 4:30 p.m. CVCC is the only undefeated team in the tournament.
The Lions are seeking their first conference tournament title since 2006.
ACCC tournament games are streamed live at acccathletics.com.
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