Shelton State makes JUCO finals

OZARK — Down three runs with the bases loaded in the second inning of an elimination game, Shelton State Buccaneers head coach Bobby Sprowl turned to his bullpen to extinguish Northwest Shoals’ offense.

Southpaw Michael Carden fanned 11 Patriots and allowed two earned runs, and Shelton State rallied for an 8-7 victory in an Alabama Community College Conference state tournament game.

With the win, Shelton State won its third consecutive elimination contest. The Buccaneers made it four in a row when they defeated Central Alabama 5-1 Wednesday night.

That sent the Buccaneers into today’s championship round at noon against unbeaten Faulkner. Shelton must win twice to capture the title.

The road to the finals was a tough one for the Bucs, who lost 10-2 to Northwest Shoals on Sunday and found themselves on the brink in the first two innings of Wednesday’s first game.

The Patriots cracked the scoreboard when Nick Flanagan drove in Tucker Willard with a single in the first. Kody Ortman then reached on an error that allowed Tyler Roach to score, giving the Patriots a 2-0 lead after one inning.

The runs kept coming in the second. Two walks and an error off Buccaneers starter Josh Wirnsberger loaded the bases before Sprowl turned to reliever Carden for help.

“He’s probably one of the best arms in the state. He has dominant stuff at our level. He’s got great makeup,” Sprowl said.

The Patriots, however, greeted Carden rudely as all three of Wirnsberger’s baserunners scored. Roach, who smacked a two-run double, crossed home plate on a Flanagan RBI single before Carden retired Ortman to end the threat and Shelton trailing 6-0.

Carden, though, dominated from that point. He struck out 11 batters and scattered four hits over the last seven innings.

“My main goal was to throw strikes and make them get themselves out,” he said. “I knew we were going to start hitting.”

Craden’s belief was rewarded as Shelton State tallied one run in the bottom of the second on a Matt Kirkwood RBI double.

The Buccaneers added four runs in the third. An error with the bases loaded allowed two runs to score, and Dustin Dunn added a two-run double to power the Shelton State attack.

The Buccaneers took the lead in the fourth as Corben Green pushed Kenny Fleming and J.R. Krebs home with a double. Dunn followed with a single, scoring Green.

The Patriots attempted one more rally when Ortman knocked in Roach with a sixth-inning single, but Carden induced Rusty Todd to fly out to end the threat.

Carden allowed one base runner beyond that point as Shelton State held on for the win.

“He’s their best arm. He’s tough, but you’ve got to hit good pitching,” said Patriots head coach David Langston.

Despite the loss, Langston said he appreciated his team’s effort throughout the tournament.

“We played with energy all week. We came down here to win, but that didn’t happen,” he said.

Roach led the Patriots’ offense with a 4-for-5 performance. He scored three runs and drove in two.

Dunn led the Shelton State attack with a 2-for-4 showing, notching three RBIs. Green added two RBIs and two runs scored.