Baseball Sweeps Past Southern Union

TUSCALOOSA - The No. 25 ranked Shelton State Community College tied the second-best 16-game record in conference play, with a doubleheaders sweep of Southern Union on a breezy Saturday afternoon.

The Bucs posted a 9-6 win in game one and then shutout the Bison 10-0 in six innings in the second game.

Shelton State (22-10, 13-3 ACCC) tied the 2015 and 0000 teams for the best 16-game record in ACCC play.

Freshman centerfielder Cody Kropp went 5-for-8 with six runs scored, two doubles and three RBIs in the two games. He was also 7-for-7 in stolen bases.

Sophomore first baseman Jackson Henderson, who batted leadoff for the first time in his career, reached base in seven of nine plate appearances. He was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, one home run and one RBI. He also walked five times.

Sophomore Will Harrison fired a complete-game, two-hit shutout, with four strikeouts in game two. It was his first career complete game. 

It also marked the Bucs seventh shutout of the year, third-most in the nation. Shelton State has pitched at least one shutout against all four ACCC opponents.

Shelton State snapped a 2-2 tie in game one with a pair of runs in the fifth inning.

Freshman pinch-hitter Drew Ollis broke the tie with a safety squeeze bunt and sophomore third baseman Slade Sullivan followed with an RBI single to right.

Sullivan was 3-for-3 with one RBI in game one and posted four hits in the double header.

The Bucs stretched the lead to 9-2 with five runs in the six. SophomJames Graphosdelivered a sacrifice fly and freshman left fielder Owen Anchors scored on a passed ball. 

Ollis, freshman pinch-hitter Jarret Scott and Kropp all had RBI singles.

The five runs were needed as Southern Union scored four runs, aided by two errors, in the seventh to make it 9-6.

Sophomore Kenneth Diddell put out the fire with a two-pitch fly out for his third save.

Freshman Corbin Hamric collected his first career win.

Shelton State scored in five of the six innings and cruised to a 10-0 run-rule win in game two.

The Bucs have eight run-rule wins this season and have at least one against three of the four ACCC opponents.

Henderson swatted a leadoff home run to right field to set the tone for the Bucs. 

Sophomore DH Grant Browning made it 2-0 with a ground out.

Shelton State led 5-0 after two innings on a sacrifice fly by anchors and a two-run home run by sophomore right fielder John Robicheaux.

Robicheaux leads the team with six home runs and has homered in all four ACCC series.

Kropp's RBI double and Ollis' sacrifice fly made it 7-0 in the third.

Ollis had an RBI single in the two-run fourth to extend the lead to 9-0.

Anchors ended the game with an RBI single in the sixth. He finished with three hits and two RBIs in game two.

The Bucs are back in action this week against Northwest Shoals on Thursday in Muscle Shoals at 2 p.m. and Saturday in Tuscaloosa at Noon.