By Barry Allen of https://batsandblogsbka.wordpress.com/about/.
OXFORD – Shelton State saved its best for last.
The Bucs recorded a season-high 15 runs and 18 hits en route to a 15-3 drubbing of Wallace State Dothan to win the 2023 ACCC State Tournament championship.
Shelton State (31-28) advances to the 2023 NJCAA World Series for the sixth time in school history. The Bucs made it to Grand Junction, Colo., in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2021 and 2023.
All nine starters had at least one hit against the Govs, led by freshman first baseman Wesley Helms' season-high four hits. Freshman catcher Whitt Winfield added three hits. Freshman right fielder Jordan Evans, sophomore second baseman Zeke Bishop and sophomore DH Reese Collins all had two hits.
Eight of the nine starters had at least one RBI, led by a career-high four RBIs by Collins. Helms, Winfield and freshman third baseman Kyle Morrison all had two RBIs.
Eight of the nine starters scored at least one run, led by Evans' season-high four runs. Bishop, sophomore left fielder Tyler Thomasson and Winfield all scored two runs.Sophomore left-hander Tate Robertson gave the Bucs six strong innings in his second start of the tournament. He limited the high-powered Govs to three runs and eight hits for his second win. He struck out seven and did not walk a batter.
He was named the ACCC Tournament MVP after he recorded 15 strikeouts and no walks in 15 innings.
"My teammates, during the games and after the game, keep me going," Robertson said. "I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else. It's awesome to win the state championship."
Freshman Nathan Shelton pitched a scoreless seventh inning and freshman Bodie Vail had two scoreless innings, including a strikeout to close out the game.
"If we were going to win, we had to win with our pitchers dominating," head coach Bobby Sprowlsaid. "The four games we won, they really dominated and today we broke through offensively and made it easier on the pitchers. The pitchers throw strikes. They compete. We played great defense too."
Shelton State wasted little time on Monday as Evans drilled the first pitch of the game into the left field corner and the Bucs were off and running.
Bishop followed with a single to left to put runners on the corners. Morrison plated the first run with a sac fly to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.
Helms and Thomasson singled to load the bases before Collins smashed a two-run double into the right field corner to make it 3-0.
Winfield followed with a sac fly to score Thomasson with the fourth run of the frame.
Dothan starter Dylan Dickert (5-3) allowed four runs and five hits in one inning and suffered the loss. It was his second start of the tournament, after a 114-pitch complete game on Friday.
Wallace Dothan (42-19) cut the lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the first on a two-run double by Brody Capps.
The Bucs quickly answered with two more runs in the second when Helms had a two-run single to push the lead to 6-2.
Shelton State broke the game open with five runs in the fourth inning to stretch the lead to 11-2.
Thomasson drove in a run with an infield single and Collins followed with a two-run single to left. Winfield and Perez delivered back-to-back two-out singles to cap the inning.
The Govs loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth inning, but Robertson limited the damage as Capps sac fly accounted for the lone run. Capps drove in all three runs for the Govs.
They never threatened again.
Meanwhile, the Bucs put two more runs on the board in the sixth to push the lead to 13-2.
Collins was hit by a pitch and scored on sophomore centerfielder Corbin Grantham's triple to right-center. Grantham scored on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, Evans singled and scored on Bishop's double to make it 14-3.
In the ninth, Evans was hit by a pitch and scored on Morrison's RBI single to give the Bucs a 15-3 lead.
Helms led the offense with four hits, two runs scored and two RBIs. Winfield had a season-high three hits and two RBIs.
Evans recorded two hits and scored a season-high four runs.
Collins had two hits, two runs scored and a career-high four RBIs. Bishop added two hits and scored two runs.
Shelton State is the third team to qualify for the NJCAA World Series, joining State College of Florida and Gaston (NC) College.
All-Tournament Team
Gage Miller - Bishop State
Dan Stewart - Wallace State
Nick Wilson - Lawson State
Mason Cooper - Snead State
Brock Hill - Snead State
Carlos Vasquez - Wallace-Dothan
Kade Snell - Wallace-Dothan
Ellis Yohn - Wallace-Dothan
Whitt Winfield - Shelton State
Hunter Merrick - Shelton State
Zeke Bishop - Shelton State
Most Valuable Player - Tate Robertson - Shelton State