No. 10 Russellville’s campaign comes to a close after second round defeat at No. 2 American Christian Academy

The 2026 season came to an end for the Russellville High School varsity baseball team on Thursday after the Golden Tigers were swept by the No. 2-ranked American Christian Academy in the best-of-three game second round playoff series. It is the second consecutive season RHS has been eliminated from postseason play by ACA.

In game one of the series, the Golden Tigers, ranked No. 10 in Class 5A, lost 10-1 after ACA, using a six-run fourth inning, at one point held an 8-0 advantage. The Patriots opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. American Christian then tacked on six more in the fourth via a couple singles, a triple and an error.

Senior starting pitcher Ty Engelthaler, who will continue his playing career at Central Alabama Community College next season, pitched a complete game for Russellville in the loss. He allowed 11 hits and 10 runs, although only six of those 10 runs were earned; he also finished with three strikeouts.

The Golden Tigers’ lone run scored came in the fifth on a Jackson Smith sacrifice fly that drove in senior Malaki Groce from third base.

Game two saw Russellville take an early 2-0 advantage, but the Patriots later stormed back in the fifth with a go-ahead three-run inning; ACA added five more insurance runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Like ACA in game one, Russellville used power to earn the first runs of the game. Leading off the home half of the second inning, junior Tripp Cleveland launched a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 1-0. Later in that at-bat, Smith, who reached base on an infield single, would come around to make it 2-0, scoring from third on a passed ball.

Russellville’s lead held for two innings, but in the top of the fifth inning the Patriot offense came to life. ACA tied the game up 2-2 thanks to an RBI double and an RBI single before a bases load walk allowed by starting pitcher Brayden Entrekin, a sophomore, pushed ACA’s go-ahead run across.

Now up 3-2, the Patriots were determined to leave no doubt. ACA knocked in one run in the sixth inning via a sacrifice fly. In the seventh an RBI double, a sac fly, and two wild pitches gave the Patriots four more, giving the game its final 8-2 scoreline.

Entrekin, who pitched six of the seven innings for RHS, took the loss after allowing four runs (three earned) off three hits. He finished with four strikeouts. Cleveland and Caleb Hawkins came in for relief appearances in the seventh.

The Golden Tigers end their 2026 campaign with a final 21-17 record.