Bryon Martin drove in 3 runs and Miles Drew Johnson 2 as No. 5 Fairhope got off to a quick start and eliminated visiting Dothan in the first round of the Class 7A playoffs on Saturday with an 11-3 win.

The Pirates (28-10) took the lead for good with 4 runs in the first inning. They added single runs in the second and fifth and 5 more in the sixth. Dothan finished 20-12.

Martin, Will Sparks, Johnson and Lance Wade each had 2 hits for Kyle Hunter’s team. Wade also drove in 2 runs.

Jerry McDowell went the distance for the win, allowing just 4 hits and 3 runs. He struck out 7 and walked 5.

Emmanuel Lewis was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the Wolves.

After losing Game 1 8-3, Fairhope stayed alive Friday with a 6-1 win to force Game 3.

CLASS 7A

Tuscaloosa County 4, James Clemens 2

Class 7A No. 10 Tuscaloosa County moved onto the second round of the Class 7A playoffs with a Game 2 victory over defending semifinal team James Clemens on Saturday.

Tuscaloosa County won Game 1 on Friday 9-4 before the remaining games were moved to Saturday due to field conditions.

The Wildcats will face Hoover or Grissom in the second round.

Tuscaloosa County tacked on a pair of runs in the top of the first with an RBI double from Camden Barnett and a grounder from Brooks Mellown scoring Kole Nicholson. Mellown added another RBI in the third and Drew Keller’s sacrifice fly in the fourth scored Joel Goss.

Mellown picked up the win for the Wildcats, allowing 4 hits and no earned runs (2 unearned) while walking 2 and striking out 4 across 4 innings. Ford Traweek got the save with 2 scoreless innings to close the game, while Brady Jones added an inning out of the bullpen.

James Clemens’ runs came on errors in the bottom of the third, with Malik Hardy and Hayden Udovich crossing home plate for the Jets. Bryson Hodge went 2-for-2 for James Clemens.

Auburn 7, Alma Bryant 3

Will Whatley’s grand slam in the top of the sixth inning rallied Auburn to a Game 3 victory over Alma Bryant.

The Tigers (20-16) trailed the Hurricanes 3-1 entering the sixth. Auburn tied the game on Weston Luther’s bases-loaded walk and Bryson Sheppard’s RBI single.

Whatley then hit a 3-1 pitch for the biggest blow in the series.

Alma Bryant finished 20-13.

Sheppard was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for the Tigers. Brady Sack also had 2 hits. Max Autrey got the win with 4 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just 2 hits and didn’t walk a batter.

Trevor Wilkerson was 2-for-4 with a homer for the Hurricanes. Hayden Phillips took the loss in relief.

CLASS 6A

Gardendale 6, Fort Payne 1

The Rockets turned Fort Payne mistakes into a pair of first inning runs and pitcher Austin Webb made it stand in the win.

Walks to Gardendale’s Caiden Combs and Adam Yazel were followed by an error, a run on a wild pitch and a groundout RBI.

Starter Webb threw 100 pitches with 61 strikes, scattering 5 hits and striking out 5 in 6 innings while Braden Chapple pitched a perfect seventh inning to preserve the victory.

Leadoff hitter Combs scored the first run of the game and was 2-for-2, including a solo home run, with 2 walks and 2 runs while Rowan Warmack was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI-single.

Cody Florence was 2-for 3 with the first inning RBI groundout, Carter Jenkins was 2-for-4 and Rhett Fitzpatrick had an RBI-double.

Gardendale (24-9) plays the winner of Buckhorn vs. Mountain Brook next week.

CLASS 2A

Vincent 5, North Sand Mountain 2

The top-ranked Yellow Jackets (27-6) overcame a 2-1 deficit with four runs in the final 2 innings for the win.

Trailing 2-1 in the fifth, homestanding Vincent tied it with a run-scoring single by Lane Mims and broke it open with 3 runs in the sixth.

A run-scoring single by Ethan McEllrath grabbed the lead while an RBI-double by Keller Finn and bases-loaded walk by Aiden Gasaway added the final run. McEllrath, Gasaway and Landon Archer were all 2-for-3 with 2 singles.

Starter Aiden Poe struck out 12 with 6 hits and a walk in the win.

Landon Keller had an RBI-single while Jackson Burgess added a groundout RBI and Luke Reed had a double.

CLASS 1A

Brantley 18, University Charter 1

The fifth-ranked Bulldogs pounded out 11 hits and 18 runs to win Game 3 of their Class 1A series.

Jon Harper Kilcrease had 3 hits, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored for Brantley. He also pitched a five-inning complete game, striking out 4 and allowing 5 hits. The Bulldogs took advantage of 6 University Charter errors.

Kevin Freeman and Reese Odom each had 2 hits. Jayden Parks had a hit, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.

Brantley (18-3) will play Autauga Academy in the quarterfinals next week.

This post will be updated