HANCEVILLE – Wallace State’s 12th-ranked softball team was perfect at the Sun Chief Classic tournament over the weekend, reeling off five victories in Gulf Shores.
The Lady Lions (13-15) collected wins over Georgia Highlands, Walters State, Baton Rouge Community College, 8th-ranked Chattanooga State and Pearl River Community College, extending their winning streak to seven games.
Wallace State sophomore third baseman Katie Parr has the early conference lead in home runs (6) after she finished with four homers, nine RBIs and eight runs scored in Gulf Shores. In a 12-2 victory over Baton Rouge, Parr, a Hayden graduate, went 3 for 4 with three homers and six RBIs. She also homered against Pearl River.
Freshman Taylor Beshears went 8 for 20 in the tournament for the Lady Lions, raising her team-leading batting average to .391. She had four doubles, five RBIs and scored four runs.
Amber Hammonds had a hit in each game for Wallace State, scoring six runs, swiping five bases and finishing with four RBIs, sophomore Jennifer Gonzalez had five hits and scored seven runs and Shelby Brown finished with five hits, including a homer, against Georgia Highlands.
Freshman righty Brittany Ledbetter (4-2) was impressive on the mound for the Lions, tossing a pair of complete games. She went the distance against Walters State, recording 10 strikeouts and scattering one earned run on five hits. She followed it with a complete-game effort against the nationally-ranked Tigers, striking out three and allowing three runs. Ledbetter also notched a save in the 5-2 victory over Georgia Highlands with two scoreless innings.
Wallace State’s Savannah Bolton, a freshman from Danville, was the winning pitcher against Georgia Highlands, and Jessie Butler earned the win against Pearl River.
Wallace State softball is the defending Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) champion and has won nine league titles overall.
The Lady Lions are back in action Thursday as they travel to Columbia State for a doubleheader.
Wallace State baseball wins three games in East Mississippi Tournament
Wallace State’s baseball team also had a successful weekend, winning three of four games at the East Central Mississippi Tournament in Scooba, Mississippi.
Sophomore outfielder Turner Vincent cranked a walk-off two-run homer in a 5-3 victory over Faulkner State on Saturday, capping consecutive wins against the Sun Chiefs.
Wallace State (7-6) lost to Southeastern (Iowa) Community College, 4-3, in its tournament opener. Freshman Brad Norman went 3 for 4 with an RBI for Wallace State, Andrew Plunkett had a pair of hits, including a double and a run scored, and Cole Collins was 2 for 3 with a stolen base. Gerrio Rahming added a run-scoring double for the Lions and Kris Franklin had a double.
Garrett Suchey started for the Lions, and Jansen Acton pitched three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Wallace State strung together three straight wins to close the weekend, beating Faulkner State 9-1 and 5-3, and Baton Rouge Community College, 9-5.
Four Wallace State players tallied multi-hit games in the 9-1 victory over the Sun Chiefs. Lance Cleveland went 3 for 4 with a run scored, Rahming finished 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles, a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored, Plunkett had two hits, including a two-run bomb, and Vincent went 2 for 2 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base.
Braxton Light, a freshman from Southside-Gadsden, earned his first collegiate win with five dominant innings. He recorded 11 strikeouts and allowed only one run on one hit. Blake Schilleci hurled two scoreless innings, striking out four.
Vincent’s walk-off homer lifted the Lions in its Saturday opener, and they added a 9-5 victory over Baton Rouge CC.
Wallace State travels to Faulkner State on Friday for a doubleheader.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit http://athletics.wallacestate.edu/.
