General
Top-ranked Hartselle swept its way in the Class 6A state championship series for the second straight season and fourth in the past five – but the first under new coach Brad Phillips. The Tigers beat visiting Gardendale 12-0 in 5 innings in the clincher after taking a 7-5 win in the opener.
Hartselle got off to a big start in Game 2 as Ty Marsh blasted a grand slam to center field in the top of the first inning, after Asher Doepel reached on a walk, Easton Nelms was hit by a pitch and Chris Miles singled. Marsh finished with 6 RBIs after driving in a pair of runs in the fourth inning.
The Tigers (33-8) added 2 more runs in the second and third and polished off the run-rule win with 4 in the fourth.
Doepel, Nelms and Cruise Baker had doubles for Hartselle. Nelms, Miles and Marsh – the Tigers’ 2-3-4 hitters – had a pair of hits each in the win.
Gardendale (26-11) got hits from Caiden Combs, Adam Yazel, Caleb Banks and Rhett Fitzpatrick.
Conner Stiles picked up the win in Game 2, allowing 3 hits with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks in 4 innings.
In Game 1, the Tigers jumped to a 4-0 lead after 2 innings, pushing across 3 runs with 2 outs in the second on a Cain Falciani 2-run single – that brought home Braden Weathers, who reached on a fielder’s choice and Keaton Lance, who had doubled – and Doepel’s RBI single.
After single Gardendale runs in the top of the third and fourth, Hartselle added 2 more in the fifth for a 6-2 edge. The Rockets cut the advantage to a single run with 3 in the top of the sixth when Fitzpatrick was hit by a pitch, took second on a passed ball before he was replaced by pinch-runner Elliott Mathews, who scored on Combs’ homer to right field. The third run came when Carson Burdette reached on an error and scored on an Yazel single.
Hartselle’s final run came in the bottom of the sixth. Falciani was hit by a pitch, went to second when Nelms was intentionally walked and to third on a passed ball. The junior scored on another passed ball.
Marsh and Lance, who doubled twice, were 2-for-3 for the Tigers and Baker went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
Jace Meadows earned the win, giving up 3 earned runs on 4 hits with 2 strikeouts and a walk over 5.2 innings. Doepel closed out the win without a hit with a strikeout in the seventh.
Combs was 1-for-1 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored for Gardendale. Yazel was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Parker Robinson took the loss, allowing 7 runs – 5 earned – on 10 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk in 5 innings.
In other action from across the state on Thursday:
CLASS 7A
Enterprise 4, Fairhope 2
The third-ranked Wildcats are one win away from the Class 7A state finals after rallying from an early 2-0 deficit in Game 1 against No. 5 Fairhope.
The teams endured a lengthy rain delay in the sixth inning before finishing the opener. Game 2 was postponed until 1 p.m. Friday. Game 3 would follow if the Pirates even the series.
Enterprise turned the game around with a 3-run third inning. Cayden Boutwell’s RBI triple and Walker Turner’s run-scoring single were the big blows. Brady Cavanaugh also had an RBI groundout.
Leadoff man Brady Richardson was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored for the Wildcats. Davis Shiver also had 2 hits. Cavanaugh finished with 2 RBIs. Rock Gearhart led the Fairhope offense with 2 hits and an RBI.
Cavanaugh got the win on the mound, pitching 5.2 innings and allowing 2 runs on 7 hits. Richardson got the final two outs for the save. Miles Drew Johnson took the loss for the Pirates, giving up the 4 runs on 6 hits in 4 innings.
CLASS 6A
Chelsea 3-8, Stanhope Elmore 2-1
The third-ranked Hornets won a pair of games at home on Thursday over Stanhope Elmore to move on to the Class 6A state finals series against Hartselle.
Jackson Price shut down the Mustangs on 4 hits in the series-clinching Game 2 win for Chelsea (27-10). The junior right-hander struck out 7 and walked 2 while giving up an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Chelsea scored all the runs it would need with 3 in the top of the fourth when Aiden Craven singled in Chase Lackey, who had singled to lead off the inning. Two batters later, Luke Neill drove in Jordan Jones and Caden Mims – who had both singled.
Neill was 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs for the Hornets. Craven was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and Mims was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Jackson Stallworth, Tyler Woodham, Brayden Smith and Mack Boswell had hits for Stanhope (27-16). Starter Luke Payne took the loss, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits with 2 strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
In Game 1, Chelsea rallied from a 2-1 deficit to tie in the bottom of the third and scored what proved to be the winning run in the fifth. In the fifth, Aiden Hughes singled to open the inning was sacrificed to second by Lackey and scored when Mack Breazeale reached on an error.
Stanhope Elmore scored in the top of the first when Hayden Anderson reached on a 2-base error, took third on a ground out and scored on a single by Jones. Chelsea answered in the bottom of the first when Hughes singled, was sacrificed to second by Lackey and scored on a single by Mims.
The Mustangs got a 2-out run in the top of the second when Jackson Hynes led off by reaching on an error. Two outs later, he went to second on a single by Boswell and to third on a Stallworth walk. Hynes scored when Anderson walked on a 3-2 count with the bases full.
Chelsea got its own 2-out run to knot the score at 2 when Mims singled, went to third on Breazeale’s single and stole home.
Hughes was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored for the Hornets, Mims was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run and Neill went 2-for-3.
Paxton Stallings picked up the win in relief of starter Hughes. Stallings shut out the Mustangs on 1 hit with 5 strikeouts and a walk. Hughes gave up 2 unearned runs on 3 hits with 3 strikeouts and 3 walks in 3 innings.
Woodham took the loss, giving up 3 runs – 2 earned – on 8 hits with a strikeout over 6 innings.
CLASS 3A
Glenwood 11, Prattville Christian 1
Auburn University commitment Mason McCraine continued his dominance at the plate and added a gem on the mound as second-ranked Glenwood ousted No. 1 Prattville Christian on the road on Thursday.
McCraine had a solo home run in the fourth inning and a 3-run triple in the second on the way to the 5-inning run-rule win. In the three-game series, McCraine had 3 home runs, a triple and a double with 7 RBIs and 6 runs scored, going 7-for-10 at the plate.
On the mound, the 6-foot-6, 205-pounder threw a complete-game 2-hitter, allowing an unearned run with 8 strikeouts and 3 walks.
Glenwood pounded out 12 hits and had an error in the rout.
After Prattville Christian (35-6) scored a 2-out run in the bottom of the first, Glenwood (31-5) pushed across 5 runs in the top of the second – also with 2 outs. Christopher Lawrence opened the inning with a single, went to second on a sacrifice by Kaleb Andrews, took third on a bunt single by Asher Long and scored on McCraine’s triple – that also brought in Andrew Wilkinson, who had been hit by a pitch, and Long.
The Gators added more runs in the fourth and a pair in the fifth to hit the 10-run mercy rule limit.
Carter Judah went 2-for-2 with 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored for Glenwood. Lawrence was 2-for-4 with an RBI and 2 runs, Andrews was 1-for-1 with an RBI and Levi Pinder had a pair of RBIs.
Starter Jack Diefenderfer took the loss for the Panthers, giving up 8 earned runs on 8 hits with 2 strikeouts and 3 walks in 3 innings. Both of PCA’s hits were doubles, from Ethan Walls – who had an RBI – and Blake Bowman.
Glenwood won the three-game series opener 8-4 on Wednesday before PCA took the nightcap 4-3. The Gators will face Gordo for the state championship next week.
Gordo 5, Winfield 3
The fifth-ranked Green Wave knocked off homestanding Winfield to earn a spot in the Class 3A championship series next week against Glenwood School. Gordo won its second straight over the No. 3 Pirates having beaten Winfield 5-4 in Wednesday’s nightcap of the three-game series. Winfield won the first game 7-2.
On Thursday, Gordo (26-15) got a run in the top of the second only to have Winfield answer in the bottom of the inning to tie the score. The Green Wave pushed across a pair of runs in the fourth and Winfield got a run in the bottom of the fifth for a 3-2 Gordo lead. The visitors added another run in the top of the sixth and the Pirates matched it for a 4-3 Gordo advantage headed into the seventh – where the visitors tacked on an insurance run.
Winfield (32-8) out-hit Gordo 8-6, but committed 3 errors to 1 for the winners.
Curtis Brooke went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs for Gordo. Noah McDaniel was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Collin Pate picked up the complete-game win, giving up 3 runs – 2 earned – on 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks.
Brayden McCaleb was 2-for-4 with an RBI for Winfield. Walt Hennicke was 2-for-4, Blaine Bowen was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Spencer Haney added an RBI.
Hennicke took the loss in relief of starter Haney. Hennicke gave up 4 runs – 2 earned – on 5 hits with 2 strikeouts and 3 walks. Haney gave up a run on a hit with 3 strikeouts and 6 walks.
CLASS 1A
Hackleburg 8-13, Addison 2-3
Jaquan Reeder and Ross Hudson each drove in three runs in Game 2 as No. 2-ranked Hackleburg swept No. 3 Addison to advance to next week’s Class 1A semifinal series.
The Panthers (31-7) will play either Leroy or Brantley in the finals. Addison finished 27-11. The Panthers broke the nightcap open with a 9-run third inning and never looked back.
Hudson was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored. Reeder was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. Kross Weeks was 3-for-4 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs in a five-inning victory.
Maddox Vickery started and got the win for Hackleburg. He allowed 1 run on 4 hits in 3 innings. Tucker Thompson took the loss, giving up 12 runs in 2.2 innings but only 4 were earned. Jed Wilkins had 2 hits for Addison. Stone Talley drove in 2 runs.
In the opener, Hackleburg scored 3 runs in the first to take the lead for good and added 3 more in the fourth and 2 in the fifth. The Panthers finished with 6 hits. Reeder led the way with 2 hits and an RBI. Daughtry Gober was 1-for-2 with a triple. Lane Stewart drove in both of Addison’s runs.
Blaise Vickery pitched a complete game for Hackleburg, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits. He struck out 5 and walked 4. Starter Kiah Lake took the loss for Addison, allowing 6 runs on 5 hits.
Leroy 8-2, Brantley 7-4
Jayden Parks struck out 13 in a complete game in the nightcap to help No. 5 Brantley salvage a split with No. 6 Leroy.
Game 3 is scheduled for 11 a.m. Friday. The winner will play Hackleburg for the state championship next week.
Parks allowed 5 hits and 2 runs and walked just 1. He also was 2-for-4 at the plate. Andrew Mauldin took the loss for Leroy, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits. He struck out 7.
After losing the first game, Brantley took a 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first and third innings. The Bulldogs (21-4) took advantage of 3 Leroy errors.
In the opener, Sawyer Sullivan pitched out of a bases-loaded, 1-out jam to salvage a one-run win for Leroy (27-11). The Bears led 8-6 entering the bottom of the seventh, but Brantley cut the margin to 8-7 when Thomas Whitehurst scored on a passed ball. After Cooper Layton walked to load the bases, Sullivan induced a ground ball to Brady Keith, who threw out Reese Odom trying to score. Tyler Carter then grounded out to first to end the game.
The Bears turned a 5-3 deficit into an 8-5 lead with a 5-run fifth inning. Mauldin was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Sullivan was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The top six hitters in the Brantley lineup all had at least 2 hits. Chaz Branum was 3-for-4. Parks was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
AISA
CLASS AA
Clarke Prep 3, Southern 0
Clarke Prep scored all 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to break a scoreless tie and claim the AISA Class AA title Thursday at Paterson Field.
The two teams split two games in the best-of-3 series Wednesday.
Connor Bumpers’ two-run double gave the Gators the lead for good. Gray Wilson drove in the third run with an RBI double later in the inning.
Clarke Prep finished with 8 hits. Cooper Clemmons (2-for-3) was the only player with more than one. Drew Rogers and Patrick Thomas each had two hits for Southern.
John Allen Powell pitched a complete game, six-hitter to get the win. He struck out 2 and walked 1. Mason Turner took the loss for Southern. He gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in six innings. He struck out 3 and didn’t walk a batter.
Clarke Prep finished 29-6. Southern finished 25-12.
This post will be updated. Some information is from GameChanger Media.
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