HANCEVILLE, Ala. – After sweeping Lawson State Community College in a doubleheader last Saturday the Wallace State Lions were 4-2 in their last six games and looked to keep that momentum rolling into their doubleheader against Gadsden State Community College on Thursday. Wallace State took the first game, 6-4, behind a big day at the plate from Clint Seymore, who finished with a home run and four RBIs in the win. The second game saw the Cardinals get out to a quick lead, but the Lions came back later. A late rally by Gadsden State, though, helped them retake the lead, and they wouldn’t relinquish it the rest of the way, and they split their doubleheader with Wallace State with an 11-9 victory.
Gadsden State struck first in their opening at-bats. Atticus Barton led off the game with a single, then he stole second, moved up to third on a passed ball and scored on a ground ball by Kole Nicholson to give the Cardinals the early lead. The Lions, though, responded with a two-out rally in their half. Aiden Boileau got hit by the pitch, then Carter Cumming hit a single to right field, and both runners moved up to second and third on the throw-in. Tucker Rickman drove them both in on a single to right field to give Wallace State a 2-1 lead.
Gadsden State batted around in the top of the third inning. Barton drew a leadoff walk, then Nicholson’s single to left field put runners at first and second. A sacrifice bunt moved them up to second and third, and Eli Whitfield got hit by the pitch to load the bases with one out. James Lucas got hit by the pitch as well to force home a run, and Nick McCord’s RBI single gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. The biggest hit of the inning came from Peyton Parkinson, as he lined a bases-clearing double to right field to stretch their lead to 6-2.
The Lions got one of those runs back in their half. Cooper Clemmons hit a one-out double and later came around to score on an RBI single up the middle by Cumming to cut it to 6-3. Rhys Klein retired Gadsden State in order in the top of the fourth, and Wallace State looked to continue to chip away at the Cardinal lead in their half. Back-to-back one-out singles by Israel Navarro and Sam Hennegar had the Lions in business in the bottom of the fourth. One out later, Jackson Rickett’s RBI single to left field drove in Navarro to make it a 6-4 game.
Klein and Gadsden State starter Grayson Hays settled in the next two innings, as they didn’t allow a run for the next two innings. Klein continued to keep the Cardinals out of the run column, as his scoreless seventh inning gave Wallace State a chance to take the lead their half. Rickett hit a one-out single up the middle, then Clemmons drew a walk to put runners at first and second. A passed ball on the first pitch allowed Rickett and Clemmons to move up 90 feet to third and second, respectively, and Boileau hit a ground ball to bring home Rickett to trim it to just a one-run game at 6-5.
Cumming was three-for-three on the day before stepping into the batter’s box in what was one of the most important plate appearances of the game. Cumming came through in the clutch, as he lined an RBI single to left field to tie it up at six. The momentum continued to stay in the Lions’ favor, as back-to-back RBI doubles by Rickman and Carson Burdette gave them an 8-6 lead. Navarro kept the party going with an RBI double of his own to left field to make it 9-6.
Gadsden State, though, countered with a big inning of their own in the top of the eighth. Parkinson drew a one-out walk, then one out later, Jacques Walker reached on an error, and Barton reached on a bunt single to load the bases with two outs. Nicholson stole the momentum away from Wallace State with one swing of the bat, as his grand slam gave the Cardinals a 10-9 lead. The Lions looked to respond once again in their half. Seymore led off the inning with a double, and Rickett got hit by the pitch. After a fielder’s choice and a fly out, Cumming got hit by the pitch to load the bases with two outs, but a strikeout ended the inning.
Gadsden State added to their lead in the top of the ninth inning. Lucas’ solo home run with one out put them ahead, 11-9. The Lions went down in order in their final at-bats, as they ended up falling to the Cardinals in the second game, 11-9.
Rickman finished with a pair of hits and three RBIs in the game for Wallace State (22-15). Cumming added four hits and two RBIs, while Rickett (two hits), Burdette (two hits), Navarro (two hits), and Boileau all drove in a run for the Lions.
Wallace State will go to Gadsden State for a rematch with the Cardinals in a doubleheader on Saturday.
