Mountain Brook’s Caleb Barnett blasted a solo home run in a loss but earned a complete victory on the mound as the third-ranked Spartans split a playoff doubleheader with Muscle Shoals on Friday.

The Trojans won the first game 6-9, while the Spartans rallied for a 10-3 win in the nightcap. The teams will play a deciding game Saturday.

Mountain Brook (26-6) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap, scoring on a two-run triple from third baseman Bennett Love. The Spartains extended the advantage to 6-1 in the third on two walks and a two-run single from first baseman Sam Estes.

They added four more runs between the fourth and sixth innings, scoring on a two-run single from catcher Luke Houser and singles from Samford signee John Robicheaux and left fielder pinch hitter Will Weaver.

Muscle Shoals (15-11) scored twice in the final frame. Cy Hollander took the loss after allowing six runs on three hits.

In Game 1, Mountain Brook grabbed a 1-0 lead after the first inning, but the Trojans came out blasting with a six-run second inning, powered by a two-run single from catcher Silas Brewer.

The Spartans added two runs to cut the lead to 6-3 after three innings but Muscle Shoals went up 9-3 on a two-run double from Jackson Jones in the fifth. Mountain Brook rallied for three runs in the final two innings, but shortstop Drew Conner came in to relive and struck out the last two batters.

Star of the Game: Barnett was 2-of-2 with an RBI single and solo home run in the opener and went the distance on the mound in the nightcap. The senior Alabama commit gave up three runs on four hits and struck out seven while walking only two batters.

“Losing that first game really lit a fire under our butts. It wasn’t just me in the second game, it was a team effort. We loosened up and had more fun,” he said.

Stat sheet: Mountain Brook – James Graphos was 3-of-6 in the doubleheader, reaching twice on errors, and Paul Barnett was 3-of-4 with an RBI in the opener. Love went 2-of-6 with a two-run triple and Houser and Estes each had a two-run single in the nightcap. Robicheaux took the loss in the opener, allowing six runs on five hits, but was 2-of-2 with an RBI single in the nightcap.

Muscle Shoals – Dylan Olive earned the Game 1 victory, allowing four runs on six hits while collecting four strikeouts, and was 2-of-5 at the plate with two singles. Brewer belted a two-run single in the first game, followed by Jackson Jones with a two-run double, and Drew Conner was 5-of-7 in the doubleheader.

Coachspeak: “I have to tip my hat to Muscle Shoals. They came out firing on all cylinders, and we had a tough time battling back. It gave us a one-and-done mindset. It still is, and we have a lot of work to do tomorrow. Hopefully, we come out and respond in a positive way.” – Mountain Brook’s Lee Gann

“We’re trying to do the ‘next right thing.’ We’re in need of recovery. We’ll get to bed early so we get back out in the yard in the morning. This is a great experience because it’s the first time these guys have been in this position. They’ve flown under the radar and we’re trying to handle success.” – Muscle Shoals’ Blake Beck

What’s next: The Spartans and Trojans will play a decisive Game 3 at 1 p.m. on Saturday.