Three of the four Franklin County varsity baseball teams that qualified for the AHSAA state playoffs advanced to the second round after sweeping their opposition in the opening round over the weekend. Phil Campbell, Red Bay, and Russellville are moving on after defeating Elkmont, Cold Springs, and Arab, respectively, in two games. Belgreen was the one team to be eliminated, knocked out by North Sand Mountain on Friday.
Phil Campbell (20-12), winners of Class 3A Area 14, hosted the Elkmont Red Devils and took care of business with 5-4 and 7-4 victories.
Cale Faust got the start on the bump for the Bobcats in the game one win, tossing five and two-thirds innings before making way for Isaac Duboise, who earned the save. Faust finished his outing with seven strikeouts and allowed one earned run off four hits.
PCHS opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third inning with three runs. Duboise and Braxon Mayfield recorded RBI walks to score the first two runs and then an RBI fielder’s choice by Bentley Hill scored the third.
Phil Campbell tacked on two more runs in the fifth to make it 5-1 when Hill drew an RBI walk and Cohl Welborn hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to score Mayfield.
The Red Devils attempted a comeback in the sixth inning, plating three runs and pulling within one run of the Bobcats. However, Duboise slammed the door in relief, striking out three of the five batters he faced to secure the 5-4 win.
In game two, Phil Campbell earned a 7-4 victory behind a complete game by pitcher Koltin Hester, who also led the team at the dish with two RBIs.
The Bobcats got on the scoreboard early with two runs in the first. An RBI double by Chandler Benford into center field scored Hagen Raper for the game’s first run and then a sacrifice fly by Cale Faust later scored Benford from third base.
The lead evaporated in the bottom half of the inning when Elkmont scored three on a home run into left field by the Red Devils’ second baseman Doner. Doner, who accounted for all four of Elkmont’s runs after a solo homer in the fourth, ended up with two of the just three hits Hester allowed in the game. Hester ended the game with five strikeouts and allowed two walks.
Down 3-2, Phil Campbell retook the lead in the third after exploding for five runs. Hester helped himself out with an RBI double into center field that pushed Raper and Benford across. Later in the inning, back-to-back RBI hits by Duboise and Hill gave the Bobcats their seventh run.
Phil Campbell will host Vinemont in the second round on Friday, April 25.
Red Bay (22-6), ranked No. 6 in Class 2A in the final Alabama Sports Writers Association poll, hosted the Cold Springs Eagles and shot down the visitors’ playoff hopes in short order. The Tigers, champions of Class 2A Area 10, routed Cold Springs 16-2 in game one and then shutout the Eagles 10-0 in game two.
In game one, after scoring solo runs in the first and second innings and two runs in the third, Red Bay poured it on with a 12-run fourth inning.
Ty Reynolds led the team both on the mound and at the plate. Toeing the rubber, Reynolds pitched all five innings and allowed four hits while striking out six. Neither of the two runs he allowed were earned.
Standing in the batter’s box, Reynolds finished with a team-high four hits and five RBIs. Reynolds accounted for the final three of Red Bay’s 12 runs in the fourth with a three-run home run.
Carson McGee and Jeramiah Thorne also had solid days at the plate with four RBIs and three RBIs, respectively. McGee’s four RBIs came off a grand slam he smashed over the left field wall to make it 10-1 in the fourth. Thorne, the shortstop, had a 3-for-4 with the bat, including two RBI singles.
In game two of the series, McGee took his impressive hitting performance and carried it over onto the mound. He tossed all six innings as the Tigers run-ruled the Eagles once again. McGee ended his day with 11 strikeouts, no walks, and only one hit allowed.
Offensively, Red Bay’s seven-run third inning gave the Tigers a solid advantage. Thorne, catcher Harley Strickland, and center fielder Landyn Lewey each had two-RBI games. Lewey, Strickland, and right fielder Dallas Terrell all went 3-for-4 at the plate, and Strickland led RBHS with three runs scored.
Red Bay will host Decatur Heritage Christian Academy on Thursday, April 24 for the opportunity to advance to the quarterfinals.
Class 5A No. 8 Russellville (24-10) also advanced to the second round with 8-1 and 5-0 victories over the Arab Knights.
In the first of the two games last Friday, the Golden Tigers used 10 hits to put eight runs past their hosts, while pitcher Brayden Entrekin held the Knights to just one hit. Entrekin completed his outing with seven strikeouts in six innings pitched. Senior Gunner Sappington came in in the seventh for the final three outs and recorded one strikeout.
After trailing 1-0—Arab stole home during a pick-off play—Russellville pushed four runs across in the fourth and another three in the sixth inning. For good measure, the Golden Tigers added one more run in the seventh to make it 8-1.
Catcher Tristan Ray and Brayden Hatton led Russellville with two RBIs each. Freshman left fielder Caleb Hawkins led the Golden Tigers with two runs scored.
Game two saw another stellar Golden Tiger pitching performance as RHS blanked Arab 5-0.
On the mound, Ty Engelthaler tossed all seven innings, allowing just one hit while striking out seven batters.
On offense, Russellville waited late to put the game to bed. A sacrifice fly by senior Ty Willis scored Hatton to give the visitors a 1-0 lead in the third inning. The Golden Tigers didn’t score again until the bottom of the sixth when they managed to push four more runners across.
Hawkins got the bats heating up for RHS with an RBI single to score Malachi Groce to make it 2-0. Then an RBI walk followed by a two-RBI single by Hatton gave Russellville the final 5-0 advantage.
Russellville will host American Christian Academy in round two of the playoffs on Friday.
Belgreen was eliminated from the playoffs after consecutive losses to North Sand Mountain. The Bulldogs were beaten by the Bison 7-2 and 14-1.
First baseman Ty Hamilton, who knocked in Colton Ashton on a sacrifice fly, and Easton Mitchell, who scored on a Bison error, were responsible for Belgreen’s two runs in the first game.
Rush Berryman got the start for the Bulldogs on the mound. He tossed four and two-thirds innings before being relieved by Ashton, who finished out the last inning and a third. Berryman finished the day with four strikeouts, four walks, and seven hits allowed.
In game two, North Sand Mountain jumped out on Belgreen from the start, scoring five runs in the first and then put up another crooked number in the third.
Belgreen’s lone run was scored in the third inning when Ashton scored on a wild pitch.
Hamilton was Belgreen’s starting pitcher, but he was pulled in the first inning after surrendering five earned runs on three hits. Landon Cox, Mitchell, and Konner Trapp pitched in relief but were similarly effective in halting the Bisons’ offensive output.
Belgreen finished its season with a final 11-13 record.
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