Local baseball roundup, April 13-18: Three teams claim area titles as regular season nears conclusion
Here’s a look at the baseball action from teams around Franklin County:
Monday, April 13
Central 10, Phil Campbell 2
Red Bay 8, Colbert Heights 0
Tuesday, April 14
Belgreen 12, Tharptown 3
Red Bay 17, Sulligent 1
The Red Bay Tigers easily dispatched Sulligent in the first game of the final area series of the season. Behind a two-home run game from Carson McGee, who hit a grand slam in the third and finished with a remarkable eight RBIs, the Tigers scored three runs in the first inning, four in the second, eight in the third, and two more in the fourth to run-rule Sulligent in five innings. In addition to McGee’s phenomenal day at the plate, Jeremiah Thorne and Jaxson Swann both went 2-for-3 and had multi-RBI days. Thorne also got the job done on the bump, striking out five while allowing just one earned run off four hits.
West Point 5, Russellville 4
Errors doomed Russellville in the first game of its final area series of the season. The Golden Tigers’ efforts at wrapping up the area title were deferred as the Warriors came from behind in the sixth inning to eventually win the game. Down 3-2 after the first inning, RHS added solo runs in the third and fifth innings to take a 4-3 lead. But three of Russellville’s four errors occurred in the sixth when WPHS fought back. The Golden Tigers should have been out of the inning three batters in, but an error kept the bats going for the Warriors until back-to-back RHS errors allowed the game-tying and go-ahead runs to come across. Ty Engelthaler, who pitched all six innings, took the loss.
Wednesday, April 15
Belgreen 19, Tharptown 3
Colton Ashton was the player of the game for Belgreen as the Bulldogs mauled Tharptown on their way to a series sweep. Ashton, who finished 5-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored, also threw all five innings on the mound, allowed one earned run off three hits while striking out eight batters. BHS opened up the scoring early with a solo run in the first, scored thanks to a Tharptown error. Another THS errors allowed BHS to make it a 2-0 game in the second inning before the visitors cracked the game open with eight runs in the third. The Bulldogs then finished the Wildcats off with a nine-run fifth inning. Tharptown’s three runs—a solo run in the third and two runs in the fifth inning—came from an RBI single by Hayden Parker and a Belgreen error. Christopher Fretwell, Ashton’s counterpart on the mound, was stuck with the loss.
Thursday, April 16
Colbert Heights 9, Phil Campbell 7
Red Bay 14, Sulligent 3
Red Bay completed a two-game sweep on the road at area foe Sulligent to cap the week. Taking an early 1-0 lead on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Landyn Lewey, the Tigers then put up crooked numbers in all but the fourth inning and outhit SHS 17-5. Davien Colburn and S Humphries both had three-hit days while Ayden Pruitt and Lewey both had three-RBI performances. On the mound, Carson McGee, who pitched six innings and struck out nine batters while allowing three earned runs off five hits, earned the win.
Russellville 12, West Point 4
Russellville claimed the Class 5A Area 14 title with a big home win over West Point. A scoreless stalemate through three innings, the Golden Tigers busted the game wide open with 12 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The breakthrough came when, after loading the bases on two walks and a bunt, junior Tripp Cleveland hit a bases-clearing double to put RHS up 3-0. From there, the Golden Tigers piled on. Jackson Smith, Bryson Cooper, Brayden Hatton, and Malaki Groce all had RBI hits during the inning and several others drew walks or put the ball in play to push across more runs. West Point was able to keep from being run-ruled by plating four runs in the top of the fifth, but the visitors were unable to mount a full comeback. Cleveland let the Golden Tigers offensively with four RBIs. Brayden Entrekin, who pitched five innings and didn’t allow an earned run, was credited with the win; he was relieved by Brayden Hatton, who finished out the game. The win clinched home field advantage for the Golden Tigers in the first round of the AHSAA playoffs.
Russellville 11, West Point 0
Friday, April 17
Phil Campbell 7, Colbert Heights 1
The Bobcats claimed game one of Friday’s area doubleheader, jumping out on Colbert Heights early to win in convincing fashion. Led by a complete-game effort by starting pitcher Jack Owens, who finished with nine strikeouts, PCHS held the Wildcats scoreless until the final inning. Phil Campbell drew first blood in the first inning on an error and a steal of home by Hagen Raper to go up 2-0. PCHS then added two more runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Raper and a sacrifice fly by Isaac Duboise. The Bobcats’ final three runs came on an RBI single by Bentley Morgan, an error, and another sac fly by Duboise.
Phil Campbell 10, Colbert Heights 4
Phil Campbell completed the series sweep of Colbert Heights and secured the Class 3A Area 14 championship to end the week. Led offensively by Shooter Motes, who finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored, Phil Campbell put up crooked numbers in the first, third and fourth innings before finishing Colbert Heights off with solo insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Phil Campbell threw four pitchers in the win, starting with Chandler Benford, who pitched two innings. Hagen Raper, Eli Tyra, and Bentley Morgan made appearances on the bump, as well. The contest was Phil Campbell final game of the regular season. The Bobcats, who will host a first round playoff series, head into the postseason with a 21-11 record.