Baseball Completes Fall Season with a Home Win

Marion, AL. - The Marion Military Institute baseball team concluded their fall season at home this afternoon with a win against Wallace Community College-Selma.

Sophomore James Smith started the first two innings for Marion and held the Patriots scoreless.  MMI scored five runs in the bottom half of the second inning to take an early lead. Cameron Gagliano started the inning with a walk and was moved to second by Christian Wright; he moved to third on a pass ball.  Weston Ball walked.  Drew Mercier had a base hit that scored Gagliano.  WIth runners on second and third Heath Bolton connected for a base hit and loaded the bases.  Nicholas Davis doubled and allowed two runs to cross the plate.  Michael Rich followed with another double and two more runs were added for the Tigers.

Sophomore Jax Morris took to the mound for the next two innings and held the visitors from Selma scoreless. Mason Elmore, a freshman lefty, started the fifth inning and allowed one run after the Patriots' leadoff hitter hit a triple to deep left field.  WCCS scored two more runs in the top of the sixth inning as sophomore Jenson Barker saw an inning of work on the mound for the Tigers.  Marion added four runs in their next at-bat as Kaden King led the inning off with a walk.  He scored off a base hit by Jordan Moore.  Ben Daniels was hit by a pitch to give the home squad two base runners.  Duncan McReath got a hit and scored Moore.  Hayden Murray walked and Nicholas Freeman was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  MMI scored on a pass ball to make the score 9-3.

Cameron Gagliano worked the seventh inning and once again held the Patriots scoreless.  With Marion held scoreless in the bottom half of the inning, head coach Matt Downs gave the ball to Weston Ball to work the eighth inning after starting the game at short stop.  Ball allowed no runs after stranding a runner.  The Tigers went one-two-three in their half of the inning to keep the score 9-3.

Freshman John Allen saw action in relief for the ninth inning and allowed no hits with two strikeouts.  Drew Mercier started Marion's turn at the plate by reaching on an infield error.  Duncan McReath was hit by a pitch and with one out Colton Lunceford earned a walk to load the bases.  Bradlee Cole connected for a base hit and allowed a run to score.  Hunter Stowe was hit by a pitch which brought in a run; he was followed by John Leland who walked in the Tigers' twelfth run.  

Jackson Knox worked the final inning for Marion, giving up two hits and no runs with a strikeout.