Lions sweep road doubleheader at Lawson State

The Wallace State baseball team bounced back with a conference doubleheader sweep on the road at Lawson State. The Lions won the first game 14-5 thanks to a strong pitching performance by Luke Fernandez. They took game two by a 10-7 score.

The Lions  are now 15-9 (3-3 ACCC), while the Cougars are now 3-21 (0-6 ACCC) after the doubleheader.

G1: Wallace State 14, Lawson State 5

In game one, the Lions scored first with a run in the top of the third when Casen Heaps singled to drive home Colten Payton scored, giving Wallace State a 1-0 lead. Lawson State responded with a run in the bottom of the second to tie the game at 2-2.  

The Lions added a run in the top of the fourth when Andrew Lawrence scored on a wild pitch, giving Wallace State a 2-1 lead. The Cougars answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, drawing even at 2-2.

Wallace State broke open the game with seven runs in the top of the sixth, extending their lead to 9-2. Sam Henegar got the scoring started with a double, plating Cooper Sanford and Lawrence. After a wild pitch that allowed Henegar and Will Perry to advance to second and third, Derek Chambliss hit a single back up the middle, scoring Henegarand Perry. After a pitching change, Austin Nix drove home Chambliss with a single to left field. Payton then doubled to bring home Nix. Jamie Howze scored the final run of the inning on another Lawson State wild pitch.

After the Cougars cut the lead to 9-4 in the bottom of the sixth, the Lions extended their lead to 14-4 with five runs in the top of the seventh. All of the scoring damage was done with two outs. The scoring started when Chambliss scored on a wild pitch. Payton then scored on a Lawson State error that also allowed Conner Lowery, running for Howze, to score. Lawrence then scored on a Heaps single to left. The Lions final run came when heaps scored on a wild pitch. Lawson added a run in the bottom of the 7th to make the final score 14-5.

Payton and Lawrence both finished 3-for-4 to lead Wallace State. Lawrence scored three runs, while Payton had two runs scored. Chambliss, Heaps and Henager all had two RBIs, while Nix and Payton each had one.

Fernandez got the win after pitching 5.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits while striking out 10. Brady Gillespie pitched an inning of relief, allowing a run on two hits. Grayson Howard pitched two-thirds of an inning in relief of Fernandez, allowing one hit.

G2: Wallace State 10, Lawson State 7 

Wallace scored in all but two innings on their way to a 10-7 win in game two. 

After a Nix double, Howze singled to center bringing home Nix for a 1-0 lead. Lawson State tied the game with a run in the bottom of the first.

After a scoreless second, the Lions scored three runs in the third to extend the lead to 4-1. Nix doubled to left plating Chambliss,who had singled in the previous at-bat. Nix then scored on a Howze groundout. Lowery grounded out to the pitcher bringing home Payton.

Nix hit a two-run home run in the top of the fourth, pushing the lead to 6-1. Henegar's double in the fifth plated Lawrence for a 7-1 lead. Payton's sixth inning double allowed Nix, who had previously doubled, to score and make it 8-1.

Lawson responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 8-4. The Cougars added two more runs in the seventh to cut the lead to 8-6.

Another Payton double, this time in the eighth inning, brought home Perry for the Lions' ninth run. Payton scored two batters later on a Lawrence single to center, making the score 10-6. 

Lawson scored a run in the bottom of the ninth but could get no closer.

Nix finished 4-of-6 with a home run, three doubles, three RBIs and four runs scored to pace the Lions offense. Lawrence was 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, while Payton had two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs. Howze had a hit and two RBIs, while Chambliss scored two runs.

Cole Molina got the start and pitched six innings to get the win. He allowed four runs on six hits while striking out five. Cody Lee tossed two innings of relief, allowing a run on two hits. Hayden Marshall added an inning of relief, allowing two runs on a hit.