Baseball Opens Conference Play with Two Wins

TUSCALOOSA – The Shelton State Community College baseball team opened conference play with a pair of run-rule wins over Lawson State. The Bucs posted a 10-0 win in game one, then blanked the Cougars 12-0 in game two.

Freshman shortstop Griffin Rardin was the offensive catalyst reaching base in all seven plate appearances in the double header. He was 4-for-4 with three walks, five runs scored and one RBI.

Sophomore Jackson Henderson had four hits, including two doubles, four runs scored and five RBIs in the two games.

Freshman centerfielder Owen Anchors hit a two-run home run in the first inning of game one, and John Robicheaux smacked a three-run home run in the fourth inning of the second game.

Sophomores Gunner Dodd and Eli Driskell both tossed complete game shutouts for the Bucs.

Dodd (1-2) allowed only three singles in six scoreless frames. He struck out six and walked one. The Cougars only had five base runners and only two reached second base.  Dodd has 12 consecutive scoreless innings and 15 strikeouts in his last two outings.

Driskell (3-0) allowed three singles in five scoreless innings, with four strikeouts. He faced one batter of the minimum for his second straight shutout win for the Bucs. Driskell threw 5 2/3 no-hit innings in his last start against No. 1 Jones College to earn ACCC Pitcher of the Week honors.

Lawson State (7-11, 0-2 ACCC) had seven total hits and 10 total base runners in the double header. Only three runners reached second base.

Shelton State (9-7, 2-0 ACCC) has won 10 straight games against Lawson State and has four straight home shutouts against the Cougars.

Shelton State got off to fast start in the opener, scoring three runs in the first inning. Rardin singled to center to open the game and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore second baseman James Graphos delivered a one-out RBI single and Anchors launched a two-run home run to right field.

The Bucs added five runs in the fourth inning to push the lead to 8-0. Henderson plated two runs with a line-drive single to center field to push the lead to 5-0. Anchors drew a bases-loaded walk and freshman Micah Taguiam added a two-run single to make it 8-0.

Henderson added an RBI single in the fifth inning to push the lead to 9-0. Robicheaux ended the game with an RBI single in the sixth inning for the run-rule win.

The Bucs kept that momentum going to game two, scoring in three of the four innings for the run-rule win.

Shelton State pushed two runs across in the first inning when Rardin scored on a passed ball and Graphos scored on a throwing error by the catcher Riley Fuller.

The Bucs added three runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Henderson and a two-run single by Graphos.

Shelton State collected eight straight hits in the fourth inning to push the lead to 12-0. Freshmen Cody Kropp and Drew Ollis had back-to-back singles. Rardin followed with an RBI single. Henderson and Graphos had back-to-back RBI doubles to make the score 8-0. Anchors delivered an RBI single and Robicheaux capped the inning with a three-run home run to left-center field.

The Bucs also turned two double plays in the nightcap to increase their ACCC-leading total to 15 double plays.

The two teams will wrap up the four-game series with a Noon double header on Friday, March 6 at Lawson State. The games were moved up one day due to the weather forecast for Saturday.