Friday, March 12

6A No. 4 Cullman (5) vs. 5A No. 3 Madison Academy (3) 10 innings

CULLMAN, AL – When two quality teams face off in a doubleheader people expect two high quality games and that is just what 6A No. 4 Cullman and 5A No. 3 Madison Academy delivered on a beautiful Friday evening in March. Game two of the doubleheader eventually lasted 10 innings but the Cullman Bearcats were able to escape with a doubleheader sweep versus the Mustangs. In Game 2, Cullman sent RHP Hayden Stancil (2022) to the mound to face RHP Avery Seaton (2021, Alabama A&M) and both starters worked 8+ innings but neither factored into the decision. 

The Bearcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead through 2 innings as they added a single run in each of the first two frames. Brennen Norton (2021, Jacksonville State) unloaded on a 2-1 pitch and depsited it over the centerfield wall to give Cullman a 1-0 lead after 1 inning. In the second inning, OF Matt Brock (2021) drew a one out walk and some heady baserunning found him at 3B with 2 outs and he would eventually score on a wild pitch to increse the lead to 2-0. The third and fourth innings saw both starting pitchers dominate and neither team could score in ether frame. The Mustangs would strike for two runs in the 5th inning to knot things up at 2-2. Blake Helton (2021) led off the inning with a single to right field and was followed by another single, this one off the bat of James Slaughter (2021, Rust College) to put runners on the corners with no outs. Leadoff hitter Kai Watson (2021) would score Helton on a single up the middle to make the score 2-1. Slaughter came around to score to knot things up at 2-2. Once again, pitchers from both sides continued their effectiveness and we remained tied through eight innings. It looked like the Mustangs might win it in the ninth as Seaton began the inning with a double off the wall in centerfield. Ryan Harness (2021, Arizona Christian University) then smoked a ball to shortstop where Paxton Ponder (2023)  made a fabulous play on a diving attempt but the ball got away on the throw to first base which allowed Seaton to come aroound and score and give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead. Not surprising, the Bearcats did not go quietly and tied things back up at 3-3. Hunter Brooks (2022) started the inning with a double to left field and later scored on Brock's infield single. The Mustangs could not get anything going in the tenth inning, which set the stage for Norton's heroics in the bottom half of the frame. Jake Dueland (2022) waked to lead off the inning before Norton got a 1-2 breaking ball and lifted it well over the left field wall for the 5-3 final. It was Norton's third homerun of the day and fifth over the last week. 

Cullman also won G1 6-5 via walkoff homerun as 1B Kaleb Heatherly (2022) had the big blast in the bottom of the 7th after Madison Academy tied it in the top half of the 7th inning. 

Top Performers – Cullman

Hayden Stancil- 8 IP, 5 hits allowed, 2 earned runs, 17 Ks, 2 BBs

Brennen Norton - 2 IP, 2 hits allowed, 1 earned run, 2 Ks, 1 BB; 2-4, 2 HRs, 3 RBIs, 2 runs scored

Matt Brock - 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 BB, 1 SB

Hunter Brooks - 1-4, 1 2B, 1 run scored

 

Top Performers – Madison Academy

Avery Seaton - 8.1 IP, 6 hits allowed, 3 earned runs, 10 Ks, 2 BBs; 1-3, 1 2B, 1 run scored, 1 BB

Kai Watson - 2-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Ryan Harness - 2-3, 1 HBP

James Slaughter - 1-2, 1 run scored, 2 BBs

 

 

5A No. 4 St. Paul's (5) vs. 6A Robertsdale (1)

MOBILE, AL - Fourth ranked 5A St. Paul’s hosted 6A Robertsdale Friday afternoon.  St. Paul’s Will Passeau (2021, Pearl River CC) faced off against Robertsdale’s Kobe Wiggins (2022).  Passeau threw a complete game, striking out eleven while allowing only one run. Wiggins pitched five innings, striking out five and allowing two earned runs. 

Tyrese Rooks singled in Ivan Shultz (2021) to give the Saints the lead in the bottom of the 2^nd inning.  Passeau and Wiggins threw strikes and held batters in check heading into the bottom of the 4^th inning.  Passeau’s fastball was consistently 87-88 mph, touching 90 mph.  Wiggins consistently threw strikes, with an 81-82 mph fastball while landing his breaking ball for a strike.

The Saints rallied in the bottom of the 4^th.  Jackson Rice singled to lead of the inning.  After advancing to 2^nd on ground ball, he scored on an Owen Beaverstock (2022) single to centerfield.  Beaverstock would then score on a Jack Stowers (2023) ground ball.  St. Paul’s headed to the 5^th with a 3-0 lead.

Robertsdale’s Wiggins singled in Jay Raccine in the top of the 6^th inning.  After a walk, the Bears had runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with two outs.  Passeau was able to pitch out of the jam, getting A.J. Beck to ground out to St. Paul’s shortstop Walton Jackson.

Rooks singled to lead off the 6^th inning for St. Paul’s and Beaverstock doubled to score Rooks.  Despite a double from by Cole Bolton-Waites, Passeau was able to finish off the game for the Saints. 

 

Top Performers - St. Paul's 

Tyrese Rooks - 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 run scored, 1 SB

Owen Beaverstock - 4-4, 1 2B, 2 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 SB

Ivan Shultz - 2-3, 1 2B, 2 runs scored

Will Passeau - 7 IP, 5 hits allowed, 1 earned run, 11 Ks, 1 BB

 

Top Performers - Robertsdale

Jay Raccine 2-2, HBP

Kobe Wiggins - 1-3, 1 RBI; 5 IP, 9 hits allowed, 2 earned runs, 5 Ks

 

Saturday, March 13

5A No. 5 Russellville (3) vs. 7A James Clemens (2)

The Russellville Golden Tigers hit the road Saturday morning, travelling to Madison, Alabama to take on the James Clemens Jets. The Golden Tigers would come out on top in a 3-2 grudge match where pitching was stellar for both squads.. Connor Legere (2021, Cedarville) would take the mound for the Jets while the #5 team in 5A sent out Emitt Green (2021) to the bump to try and counter the Jets offense. 

Legere was quick to work for the Jets, finishing a quick 1-2-3 inning on 7 pitches and 3 fly balls, sending us to the bottom of the inning. John Mark Ingalls started the Jets off with a leadoff triple in the right center game, priming the Jets for a scoring opportunity early. After back to back strikeouts, Legere helped himself gain an early lead on the mound by shooting a single back up the middle allowing Ingalls to stroll to the plate. After a walk, Catcher Canyon Pace (2022) would throw a runner out attempting to steal 3rd and get Russellville out of the inning before any further damage.

Pace and Cole Barnett (2021) would both reach base with one out singles of their own in the top of the 2nd. With 2 runners in scoring position, John David Bishop would send a line drive to left field to give the Golden Tigers a 2-1 lead. Banks Langston (2023) would follow suit for the Golden Tigers with a single, but Legere worked out of the jam to prevent any further damage. Green would head to the bottom of the 2nd and work himself out of another jam, with 2 runners on and allowing neither to score. From the 2nd inning through the 5th inning, Green was lights out, only allowing 3 hits while racking up 6 punchouts. 

In the top of the 3rd we would see our last offensive action for a few innings, the rally started by a Nick Smith (2021) double, would result in a run from another Pace single to right. But before Russellville could capitalize any further, Legere escaped his final inning with runners on 2nd and 3rd by forcing a groundout to first base.

Hunter Scruggs (2022) and Nate Guyse would rack up the final 4 innings of work for the Jets, combing for 1 hit allowed, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. While the Russellville offense was limited on the scoreboard for the final 4 innings, their pitching shined. Green found himself in trouble for the first time in the bottom of the 6th after a triple from Gio Lopez and a single from Carson Creehan (2023) brought him in. Samuel Pace (2022) entered the game for Russellville and shut down the scoring chance facing 2 batters and recording 1 out. In the bottom of the 7th, Reed Hill (2022) entered the game with a save opportunity, he was quick with his work, striking out the first batter on 3 pitches. After a single, Hill worked a 3-2 count to the next hitter, and picked off the runner at first base. Hill then struck out his final hitter on the very next pitch, bringing the game to a close. 

Top Performers - Russellville

Emitt Green 5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 8 K

Canyon Pace 2-3, 2 1B, RB1

Samuel Pace ⅔ IP, 1K, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB

Reed Hill 1 IP, 2 K, H, 0 BB, 0 R

John David Bishop 1-3, 2 RBI

Cole Barnett 2-2, R, BB

Nick Smith 1-4, 1 2B, 1 run scored

Top Performers - James Clemens

John Mark Ingalls 2-3, 3B, R

Nate Guyse 2 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

Carter Creehan 1-3, RBI

 

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