Alabama Daily Roundup: March 9th
March 10, 2021
The Alabama Scouting Staff was in out in full force on Tuesday, March 9th in the state of Alabama. We had eyes all across state, covering games in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Tuscaloosa throughout the course of the night. Check out the game summaries for each of these contests below..
7A No. 4 Vestavia Hills (4) vs. 7A Hoover (2)
VESTAVIA, AL - With all of the action going on across the state on Tuesday night, Sammy Dunn Field at Vestavia Hills High School hosted one of the bigger matchups of the day with Hoover traveling to Vestavia Hills for a contest under the lights. Both of these teams are two of the most well-respected programs in the state, and this matchup certainly lived up to expectations. RHP Jacob Newman (2021) started off for the Rebels, and the Bucs countered with RHP William Hobbs (2021).
After both teams were able to escape minor jams in the 1st inning, the Rebels were the first to get on the board in the bottom of the 2nd. Newman walked to start the frame, and 1B Jackson Harris (2023) reached on a perfectly-placed bunt single to ignite a rally. Both runners advanced up a base (2nd & 3rd) in the next at-bat, then 3B Charlie Hughes (2021) hit a ground ball to shortstop that was good enough to let Newman score from 3rd to take a 1-0 lead. Flipping it over to the top of the order, OF Joseph Sullivan (2021, South Alabama) played situational baseball and flicked a pitch into center field that was deep enough to bring home Harris and made the score 2-0 heading to the 3rd.
The Bucs would fight back in the next half inning to tie things back up. With two runners reaching on a single and a hit-by-pitch to start the inning, 1B Lucas Steele (2022, Samford) stepped up to the plate in a big situation for Hoover. After the runner from 3rd scored on a wild pitch, Steele delivered with a base hit up the middle that scored the runner from 3rd base. This knotted things back up at 2-2 in the 3rd.
Hoover and Vestavia Hills both went down quietly over the next few frames, but the Rebels managed to regain their lead in the bottom of the 4th. After an error by the shortstop and an infield single started the inning, it seemed like RHP Tyler Wilson (2023) was going to be able to maneuver his way out of a jam to keep things tied after he recorded two outs. Wilson was one pitch away with two strikes from getting out of the inning, but Sullivan came through in a huge situation. With two outs & strikes, Sullivan shortened up and singled back up the middle to plate the go-ahead run for the Rebels. Vestavia Hills added another run to their lead on an error later in the inning, and took a 4-2 into the 5th.
Neither team was able to get anything going in the 5th or 6th innings. The Bucs came up to the plate with their last shot in the 7th needing two runs to extend the game. After two quick outs, UTL Alex Wilson (2021, Central Alabama CC) singled up the middle to bring the tying run to the plate. OF/LHP Joseph Sullivan (2021, South Alabama), who drove in two runs offensively, was able to get the Bucs’ 3-hole hitter to ground out to 1st base to end the game.
Top Performers - Vestavia Hills
Joseph Sullivan - 1B, 2 RBI’s; SV, 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Jackson Harris - 2-3, 2 R’s, SB
Caleb Shofner - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K’s
Jacob Newman - W, 4 IP, 3 H’s, 2 R (1 ER), BB, 2 K’s
Top Performers - Hoover
Lucas Steele - 1B, RBI
Carter Short - 1B, R
Ashton Hawkins - 1-2, R, BB
Colin Rengering - 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, BB, K
6A Homewood (8) vs. 6A No. 4 Cullman (4)
BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Homewood Patriots hosted the Cullman Bearcats in a 6A matchup between two talented teams on Tuesday at 4:00. Both teams had some offensive standouts and highlights with both teams throwing multiple pitchers during this contest. The Patriots handed the ball to RHP Josh Beasley (2022), and the Bearcats turned to RHP Weston Horton (2021, Snead State CC).
Cullman wasted no time getting on the board early on in the top half of the 1st. C/IF Brennen Norton (2021, Jacksonville State) took advantage of a fastball that leaked back over the plate and hit a screamer down the left field line that snuck inside the foul pole for a solo shot in just the second hitter of the game. The Patriots loaded the bases in the bottom half, but were unable to push anything across. The Bearcats led 1-0 after the 1st inning.
After back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt to open the bottom of the 2nd, the Patriots tied things up on a fielder’s choice to shortstop. The runner from 3rd was able to beat the tag from shortstop. With two runners in scoring position, 2B Max Heath (2021) singled back up the middle to bring home two more runs for the Patriots. Homewood carried a 3-1 lead to the 3rd inning.
Homewood added another run in the 3rd after a scoreless top half. With a runner at 2nd base and two outs in the inning, OF Jack Couch (2022) stuck a pitch over the middle of the plate and drove it into the RCF gap. This plated the runner from 2nd, and the Patriots extended their lead to 4-1 after the 3rd inning.
In the 4th inning, the Bearcats went down quietly offensively, and the Patriots erupted for another big inning. With two outs, Homewood responded with three straight hits that plated runs from DH Brode Susce (2021), 3B Taylor Patterson (2022) and C Brian Condon (2022). With four runs scoring in the inning, the Patriots took a commanding 8-1 lead to the 5th inning.
The Bearcats, however, fought back in the top of the 5th, as they loaded the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk and the heart of the order due up. SS Paxton Ponder (2023) brought home the first run of the inning on a RBI sacrifice fly that the center fielder made an excellent diving play on. DH Kaleb Heatherly (2022) plated another on a bases loaded walk, and 3B Hayden Stancil (2022) scored another run on a hard hit line drive right to the right fielder that went down as a RBI sacrifice fly. The Patriots limited any further damage, but the lead had been cut to 8-4.
Give credit to the Homewood pitching staff for doing a solid job of keeping a talented Bearcat order in check for the most part. Both teams failed to push across any more runs in the 6th and 7th innings, giving the Homewood Patriots a big 8-4 victory over the Cullman Bearcats.
Top Performers - Homewood
Max Heath - 2-4, RBI
Brode Susce - 2-3, 2 2B’s, RBI, R, BB
Taylor Patterson - 2-4, 2B, RBI, R
Brian Condon - 2-3, RBI, 2 R’s, BB
Jack Couch - 2-3, 2B, RBI, R
Josh Beasley - W, 2 IP, H, ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s
Addison Daugherty - 2 IP, 2 H’s, 0 R, 3 K’s
Austin Whitley - 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K’s
Top Performers - Cullman
Brennen Norton - 2-3, HR, RBI, R, BB
Hayden Stancil - 2B, RBI
Kaleb Heatherly - RBI, BB
4A No. 5 Bibb County (5) vs. 6A Northridge (3)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - The Bibb County Choctaws headed northwest on Tuesday night to take on the Northridge Jaguars, resulting in a 5-3 victory for the visiting Choctaws. A tight game throughout, the Choctaws rode a 3 run 6th inning to victory. Jon Woodard (2022) took the mound for the Jaguars while Dillon Williams (2022) took the bump for Bibb County.
With one out in the top of the first inning, Williams reached on an infield single, which was then followed by a double laced into the left center gap from Cade Horton (2021). Williams scored on a wild pitch and Horton scored on a Bo Burkes (2022) single up the middle, giving Bibb County a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the inning.
Northridge quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning, with Bodie Vail (2022, UAB) reaching on an error, a Tate Robertson (2021, Shelton State CC) double, walks drawn by Davis Randolph (2022) and Woodard, and a sacrifice fly by Brady McAbee (2023), the Jaguars sent us to the 2nd in a tie game.
Not much brewed offensively in the next few innings with Williams and Woodard settling in and commanding the game. Williams excelled at pitching to contact, and through the next four innings, only allowing one hit and two walks. UAB commit Whitt Winfield (2022, UAB) laced a double off of the right center fence, not before Williams would escape the jam with help from his pickoff move and defense behind him. Woodard had a similar fate, only allowing one hit, via another double from Horton in the right center gap, and no walks with 5 punch outs in the next four innings.
Both pitchers were pulled respectively in the 6th inning after allowing baserunners to start the inning. Northridge relied on Maddox Call (2021) who entered the game with the bases loaded and nobody out, but the damage was already done as Bibb County would finish the 6th inning with a 3 run lead, mostly from walks and HBP’s. Northridge would answer with one of their own in the 6th, chasing Williams after 5 ⅓ IP. Matthew Cash (2024) entered the game with the bases loaded and one out, only allowing one of the inherited runners to score. Call would finish the game for Northridge with 2 IP, 3K, 3BB 0 ER, and 1H. The Jaguars made one last attempt to tie the game with 2 on and 1 out in the 7th inning, when Steven Cash (2022) replaced his brother Matthew on the hill to close it out. He faced three batters, striking out the first one, walking the 2nd, and finishing with a bases loaded strikeout to end the ballgame.
Top Performers - Bibb County
Cade Horton - 2-2, 2 2B’s, BB, HBP
Dillon Williams - 5 ⅓ IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB
Bo Burkes - 2-3, 2 1B’s, HBP, RBI
Matthew Cash - 1 IP, K, 0 R, 0 BB
Steven Cash - ⅔ IP, 2 K, BB, 0 H, 0 R
Top Performers - Northridge
Tate Robertson - 2-4, 2B, 1B,
Jon Woodard - 5 IP, 5 K, 5 ER, 5 H, 1 BB
Whitt Winfield - 1-4, 2B, R
7A Huntsville (4) vs. 6A Hazel Green (2)
HUNTSVILLE, AL- The Huntsville Panthers improved to 5-3 Tuesday night with a 4-2 win over the Hazel Green Trojans. The Panthers sent JB Swearengin (2021) to the mound and the senior produced a quality start as he went 5 innings to get the win. He scattered 6 hits and struck out 5 Trojan hitters while giving up 2 runs (1 earned) and issuing 1 walk. The Trojans countered with Jackson Hunter (2024), who also turned in a quality outing in his own right. The freshman went 6 innings and allowed 2 earned runs (4 runs total) and only giving up 4 hits. Hunter struck out 6 hitters but walked 5 hitters as well.
The scoring started in the first inning as the Panthers jumped out to a 1-0 in the home half of the first as Cooper Williamson (2022) started things off with a walk and later scored on error with 2 outs in the inning. Hazel Green wasted no time in knotting the score back up as the evened things up in the top of the second inning. Blake Hall (2023) came up with a big two out RBI by driving in Jackson Mays (2021), who earlier singled. Huntsville regained the lead in the bottom of the third as once again, Williamson scored. Hitting out of the leadoff spot, he started the inning off by getting on by error and scored a few batters later on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. The Panthers added two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-1. Swearengin singled to start the inning and advanced to third base on an error by the centerfielder and later scored on a passed ball. Alex Cheng (2021) then singled and later came around to score on a base hit by Conor Curry (2021). The Trojans countered with a single run in the fifth inning as Ethen Barnes (2021) led off the frame with a double. He would score shortly after as Landon Baeder (2022) followed up with his own double to make it 4-2 Panthers, which is how the game ended.
Top Performers – Huntsville
JB Swearengin – 5 IP(W), 6 hits allowed, 1 ER, 5 Ks, 1 BB; 1-3, 1 run scored
Josh Mackey – 2 IP (SV), 1 hit allowed, 0 runs, 3 Ks, 0 BBs
Stone Lawless – 1-1, 2 IBB
Alex Cheng – 1-2, 1 run scored, 1 BB, 2 SBs
Conor Curry – 1-3, 1 RBI
Top Performers – Hazel Green
Jackson Hunter – 6 IP (L), 4 hits allowed, 2 ER, 6 Ks, 5 BBs
Landon Baeder – 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Blake Hall – 2-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Parker Hall – 1-3, 1 2B
Ethen Barnes - 1-3 , 1 run scored
Jackson Mays – 1-3, 1 run scored
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