Friday Baseball Roundup: Spanish Fort, Chelsea sweep away 6A foes

Spanish Fort 16-8, Hueytown 1-3

Class 6A No. 8 Spanish Fort scored 24 runs in two games Friday night to sweep Hueytown in their best-of-3 series at Spanish Fort.

The Toros (22-13) pounded Hueytown 16-1 in Game 2 and then overcame a 2-run deficit in Game 2 to win 8-3.

After Hueytown scored single runs in the first 2 innings of Game 2, Spanish Fort tied it when Brayden Bound stroked a run-scoring single and Grant Howard’s groundout added a run. Nemo Hixon’s sacrifice fly in the third proved the game-winning RBI.

Howard was 2-for-4, including a double, with 4 RBIs while Damien Tate was 3-for-4 with a double.

Newton Gardner allowed 7 hits and struck out 7 to earn the win.

The Toros scored 11 runs in the first 2 innings and cruised to the Game 1 win, pounding 11 hits.

Gardner was 3-for-4, including a triple, with an RBI and 3 runs to lead the Spanish Fort offense. Mytch Deacy was 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs while Howard was 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs. Bound added a 2-run homer.

Colin Murphy allowed 7 hits to pick up the win, the game shortened to 4 innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.

Bronson Moore and Will Vaughan had doubles for Hueytown.

CLASS 6A

Chelsea 2-1, Saraland 1-0

Third-ranked Chelsea (23-9) got a pair of pitching gems to earn the sweep at seventh-ranked Saraland (21-11).

After Aiden Hughes scattered 3 hits and allowed a single run for the Game 1 victory, Jackson Price followed with a 2-hit shutout in Game 2.

Hughes struck out 7 and walked 2 while Price struck out 8 and walked 1, getting all the run support he needed in the second on Bryant Wisdom’s double to score Paxton Stallings, who reached on a double.

After Saraland’s Jamison Roberts’ 2-out single in the fourth, Price retired the next nine batters to end the game.

Cade Mims, Logan Carson, Wisdom and Stallings all had doubles for Chelsea.

Santae McWilliams and Roberts had Sarland’s lone hits.

Chelsea’s Hughes got the Game 1 victory when Mims doubled home Hughes, who started the rally with a 1-out walk.

Saraland’s Cade Mason took the loss, striking out 4 and allowing 3 hits.

Saraland scored in the first inning on a wild pitch and Chelsea tied it 1-all on Hughes’ run-scoring single.

CLASS 2A

Tuscaloosa Academy 11, Ariton 9

There will be a new state champion in Class 2A.

Tuscaloosa Academy pounded out 14 hits and scored 11 runs to win Game 3 of its best-of-3 series and eliminate the two-time reigning champ Purple Cats.

E. Hamiter and M. Norris both homered and drove in three runs each for the Knights (15-19). Hamiter went 4-for-5 with 2 runs scored. Norris was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Preston Lancaster also had 2 hits and 2 RBIs. G. Jones led the Ariton attack, going 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs.

Lancaster started for TA, giving up 4 hits and 7 runs and walking 8. C. Faulkner pitched the final 3.1 innings, allowing 6 hits and 2 runs, to get the wins. P. Gill took the loss in relief for the third-ranked Purple Cats (25-11).

The Knights will play Pike Liberal Arts in the quarterfinals.

CLASS 1A

Autauga Academy 2, Millry 1

Unranked Autauga Academy scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings and knocked off No. 4 Millry in Game 3 of their series.

The Generals (14-18) tied the game at 1-1 on Cody Tornow’s single in the fourth and took the lead for good on Carson Turner’s RBI single in the fifth.

Logan Dunaway went the distance on the mound, allowing 5 hits and 1 run. He struck out 4 and walked 3. Jackson Waite also pitched a complete game for Millry (25-10), scattering 3 hits and allowing 2 runs. He struck out 8 and walked 5.

Shooter Holyfield drove in the Wildcats’ only run of the game.

Autauga Academy moves on to face either University Charter or Brantley in the quarterfinals next week.

Florala 8, Fayetteville 4

Ninth-ranked Florala pulled to an 8-0 lead through 4 innings on the way to the home Game 3 win over No. 8 Fayetteville on Friday that puts the Wildcats in the third round of the playoffs. The teams split on Thursday, with Florala winning the first game 3-2 and Fayetteville taking the second 2-1.

The Wildcats scored single runs in the first and third and 3 in both the second and fourth innings before Fayetteville pushed across 3 in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh. Florala committed 2 errors to 1 for the Wolves.

Noah Bryan threw a complete-game 4-hitter for Florala, striking out 7 and walking 1. Bryan gave up 4 runs – 2 earned – in limiting the visitors to all singles.

The Wildcats had 9 hits, including 2 doubles by Kennith Jackson and another by Easton Walsh. Jackson was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a run scored and Walsh was 1-for-2 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs. Gage Davis went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run in the win.

Fayetteville sent seventh pitchers to the mound with starter B Cantrell lasting an inning, allowing an unearned run with 2 walks. Sawyer Braswell gave up 2 earned runs on 2 hits and Ei Burns allowed 2 runs – 1 earned – on 4 hits with a strikeout. Mason McDaniel struck out 3 and walked 2 in 1.2 innings.

Cameron Hammonds went 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs with Carter Goins and Burns also recording an RBI each.

Florala improves to 19-8 on the season while Fayetteville closes out at 21-12.

The Wildcats will meet the Billingsley-Leroy survivor next week.

Lynn 6-7, Hubbertville 2-4

The Bears swept into the third round of the playoffs at home on Friday. Lynn improved to 20-10 on the season while the Lions dropped to 17-9.

Lynn pounded out 10 hits in the deciding game while holding Hubbertville to 5. Both teams scored a run in the opening inning before Lynn scored 1 in the second and 3 in the third. Hubbertville got a run in the third before Lynn scored 2 more in the fifth. The Lions got 2 more in the bottom of the seventh.

Hunter Ellis earned a complete-game win for Lynn, giving up 4 runs – 3 earned – on 5 hits with 7 strikeouts and 6 walks. Kyler Jordan doubled and drove in a run in the win. Dylan Dunagan was 3-for-4 with an RBI and Caden Key went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Starter Cruz Kizzire took the loss for Hubbertville, allowing 7 runs – 6 earned – on 9 hits with a strikeout and 2 walks in 4.2 innings. TJ Keeton doubled and drove in a run for the Lions.

In Game 1, Conner Tittle had an inside-the-park home run, driving in 2 runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the home team up 3-0. The Lions scored a run in the top of the fifth, but Lynn pushed across 3 in the bottom of the inning.

Bryce Baughn and Ashton Hopkins were both 2-for-3 with Hopkins with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs and Baughn bringing home a run. COBY Sherer went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Jordan was 2-for-3.

Austin Dodd got a complete-game victory, allowing 2 earned runs on 9 hits with 6 strikeouts and 4 walks.

Blaize Wakefield took the loss, allowing 6 runs – 3 earned – on 8 hits with 6 strikeouts and 5 walks over 5 innings.

Cole Brand went 2-for-2 with a double for the Lions. Wakefield and Tucker Bowen were both 2-for-4 with an RBI each.

Lynn will meet the Addison-Pickens Academy survivor in the third round.

This post will be updated