Wallace State baseball season ends in ACCC losers bracket final

OXFORD, AL — Wallace State kept its season alive with an extra-inning win over Snead State on Saturday before falling to Southern Union in the losers bracket final of the ACCC Championship at Choccolocco Park.

The Lions opened the day with an 11-9 win over Snead State in 10 innings, giving head coach Randy Putman his 1,298th career victory. Putman finished the day two wins shy of 1,300 career victories.

Wallace State trailed 4-1 after three innings against Snead State before Carter Cumming tied the game with a three-run home run in the top of the fifth. Snead State moved back in front with a run in the sixth and carried a 7-4 lead into the ninth.

The Lions rallied in the top of the ninth when Cooper Clemmons homered to right field and Israel Navarro singled to center, each driving in two runs to give Wallace State an 8-7 lead. Snead State answered in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 8 and force extra innings.

Aiden Boileau delivered the decisive swing in the top of the 10th, hitting a three-run homer to left field to put Wallace State ahead 11-8. Snead State scored once in the bottom of the 10th, but the Lions held on for the win.

Wallace State finished with 19 hits in the win. Clint Seymore went 4-for-5, while Clemmons, Cumming and Boileau each drove in three runs. Boileau, Cumming and Clemmons each homered. Carson Burdette added three hits, and Carter Cumming, Clemmons and Boileau each had multi-hit games.

Matthew Lyons earned the win in relief for Wallace State. The Lions used seven pitchers in the game, with Colton Parten starting and allowing three runs, two earned, over 2 2/3 innings. Connor Lowery worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Rhys Klein also had a scoreless outing.

In the losers bracket final, Southern Union scored six runs in the second inning and added three in the fourth, two in the fifth and six more in the seventh to defeat Wallace State 17-3.

Wallace State scored its first run in the third inning, then added two more in the fourth. Sam Hennegar provided the biggest swing for the Lions, hitting a home run and finishing with two RBIs. Cumming also drove in a run.

The Lions had six hits in the loss. Seymore went 2-for-3, while Jayden Charles, Cumming, Clemmons and Hennegar each added one hit. Hennegar's home run accounted for Wallace State's only extra-base hit.

Southern Union finished with 19 hits and no errors. Wallace State pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in the loss.

The loss ended Wallace State's run in the ACCC Championship after the Lions advanced through the losers bracket with wins over Chattahoochee Valley and Snead State.