Bob Jones’ Tanner Hermesch drove in three runs and Reece Brazeal came in late to grab a win on the mound as the second-ranked Patriots rallied for a 4-3 victory over No. 1 Hewitt-Trussville to close out Monday’s Class 7A quarterfinal series.

Bob Jones (36-10) won the first game 1-0 on Saturday and completed the sweep of the top-ranked Huskies to advance to the semifinal round.

“We gutted that win out. I’m talking about a gutsy win,” Bob Jones coach Jared Smith said. “We had two hits, three if you count the catcher interference, so to be able to beat a team like that is impressive. They scored two out of the gate and we had not even got off the bus, but relaxed and found a way to win.”

Cam Martin got the start for the Patriots and gave up 2 runs on 4 hits in 4.1 innings of work, and Brazeal entered the game in the fifth and allowed a single run on 2 hits to earn the win.

“Coming in those moments is fun,” Brazeal said. “It’s high-energy and high-opportunity. I give my guys praise for giving me that run and all glory to God.”

Hewitt-Trussville grabbed momentum early on a lead-off triple from Tennessee signee Steele Hall, followed by an RBI single from Cooper Huffman to make it 1-0. UAB signee Christian Helmers scored Huffman on a 2-out single to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead after the first inning.

The Patriots received a lead-off walk in the fourth and Alabama signee Zack Johnson got on board with a 1-out single. Following another walk to load the bases, Hermesch tied the game on a 2-run sacrifice fly to center that scored Dillon Adkins and Johnson.

Drew Ollis led off the sixth inning with a single, and Cale McIntosh drove him in with a single to give Hewitt-Trussville a 3-2 lead.

Adkins drew his third consecutive walk to open the bottom half of the sixth, and Martin advanced him to second on a sacrifice bunt. Johnson tied the game with a single on the following at-bat. Cole Spainer struck out to set the table for Hermesch, who drove a double into left field to score Johnson for the go-ahead run.

Hewitt-Trussville (33-4) managed to get a single baserunner in the final inning by way of a walk, but the Patriots closed out the series with a strikeout and groundout.

Hudson Mitchell went the distance for the Huskies and allowed 4 runs on 3 hits. He issued 4 walks and 4 strikeouts.

“Honestly, we’re in a little shock,” Hewitt-Trussville coach Jeff Mauldin said. “We fully expected to win the first one plus this one today. We gave 4 hits over 17 innings pitched and lost two games. I don’t know how that’s possible. You absolutely have to tip your hat to Bob Jones. They got to move on and play somebody, but we feel like the two best teams in the state were on this field this weekend.”

Star of the Series: Hermesch. The senior pitcher and third baseman went 1-of-3 with a 2-RBI sacrifice fly and an RBI double. The sac fly tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth and his sixth-inning double scored the winning run.

Hermesch, a Shelton State signee, also pitched a 10-inning shutout on Saturday in Game 1.

“I just wanted to piece good at-bats together; see a lot of pitches and know what he’s throwing. Shout out to the guys for getting on and getting me in that situation,” he said.

Stat sheet: Bob Jones – Adkins was walked in all three plate appearances and Johnson went 2-of-3 with a pair of singles, one of which tied the game in the sixth inning. Hewitt-Trussville – Huffman, Helmers and McIntosh all had RBI singles, while Colby Durden and Ollis each recorded a single. Hall had the lead-off triple and was intentionally walked, and Koal Duckett racked up 2 stolen bases.

Coachspeak: “Winners win and those guys do whatever it takes to find a way. Super proud of that team. It took everybody and this team doesn’t quit. Even when they scored two early, this team believed they could win. Hat tip to Hewitt-Trussville, they’re definitely one of the best teams in the state and two of the best definitely faced off this week. It was a battle and a shame somebody had to go home.” — Bob Jones’ Jared Smith

“We had the best regular-season in 7A history. Obviously, that doesn’t matter right now, because this hurts. Coming into this series, ranked in multiple national polls, so we’re one of the best teams in the state and in the country. Sometimes, baseball is cruel. But, God truly blessed us this season in being able to do the things we do and for our coaches to be a part of watching these guys play, especially our senior class of 12 guys. It’s truly a blessing from God, as a coach, to have a group like this.” — Hewitt-Trussville’s Jeff Mauldin

What’s next: Bob Jones will travel to face No. 10 Tuscaloosa County in a best-of-three Class 7A semifinal series on Friday.