WESSON – Down 8-0 to the Gulf Coast Bulldogs in the fifth inning, the Copiah-Lincoln baseball team had their opponent right where they wanted them. The Wolves exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth and then got the game winning hit in the bottom of the seventh to take an exciting 10-9 win over the Bulldogs. In game two the Wolves won with a walk-off hit when Dominic Savage drove in Colby Whitfield to secure a 7-6 win.

Co-Lin 10, Gulf Coast 9

It was all Gulf Coast (11-14, 2-6) early as the Bulldogs scored three in the third, four in the fourth, and one in the fifth inning. The jolt that Co-Lin (9-17, 5-5) needed came in the form of a Gulf Coast error to start the bottom of the fifth. Co-Lin batter Dominic Savage struck out swinging, but reached on a dropped third strike. A throwing error by the Gulf Coast catcher sent the ball into right field and allowed Savage to race all the way around to third base. Savage then scored on a single by Logan Smith.

The error, the hustle play by Savage to reach third, and solid RBI single by Smith, was the spark that lit a fire under the Wolves. A two-run home run by Mitch Little later in the inning cut the deficit to 8-5. Fittingly, it was Smith, the same batter who started the rally with an RBI and tied the game up in his second trip to the plate in the fifth. His single scored two and the Wolves tied the game at eight.

Each team scored a run in the sixth and that set the stage for Smith to play the part of hero again. With the game tied 9-9 in the bottom of the seventh, the freshman catcher from Loyd Star lined a hit to left field that scored Ryan Young and set off a wild celebration by the Wolves.

Smith went 3-for-4 with four runs batted in. Savage finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Little was 2-for-4 with three RBI’s. Steven Chisolm earned the win for Co-Lin with one scoreless inning of relief work.

Co-Lin 7, Gulf Coast 6 

The script for game two followed closely to game one. The Bulldogs jumped out to a big lead, the Wolves battled back and won it in their final at-bat. Gulf Coast led 5-0 after the first inning and a half.

Savage was nearly unstoppable at the plate in game two. The sophomore from Port Gibson homered in the second, singled in the third, and doubled in the seventh. Whitfield finished 2-for-3 with two singles and two runs scored. Casey Hurley earned the win for Co-Lin with two hitless innings of relief work.

For the doubleheader the two teams combined for 38 hits and used a combined 16 pitchers.

Co-Lin is back in action on Saturday, March 29 when they host the Northwest Rangers for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.