AHSAA PLAYOFFS: St. James heads to third round with sweep of Childersburg

St. James starter Cooper Wright allowed just six hits and earned a win in the Trojans’ sweep of Childersburg in the Class 3A second round. (Tim Gayle)

By TIM GAYLE

Cooper Wright scattered six hits in a winning performance for St. James and reliever Charlie Cutler threw four-plus innings of relief in the second game as the Trojans swept Childersburg 7-4 and 13-2 in the 3A playoffs on Friday at St. James.

The win lifted the Trojans (20-11) into the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016. St. James will travel to Dothan to play Providence Christian (19-8) next Friday in the 3A quarterfinals.

“It’s been a while,” St. James coach Keith Lucky said. “It’s been a long time coming. I’m really proud of these guys. They’re playing good at the right time.”

The biggest boost for the Trojans was the performance on the mound. In the first game, Wright surrendered a home run to Layne Dennis on the second pitch of the game, then held the Tigers without an earned run the remainder of the game. He allowed three hits in the second inning, then two hits over the final five innings.

“He started out a little rusty at the beginning and then got going,” Lucky said. “’Ole reliable Cooper. That’s what he is. Sometimes, he gets a little rowdy, then settles down and starts throwing the baseball like he’s capable.”

The Trojans rallied from a 3-1 deficit with six runs in the fourth inning as KJ Jackson, Clint Houser and Caden Anderson led off with singles. Jackson scored on a groundout, Houser scored on a sacrifice fly and Anderson scored on an Ethan Beard double to put the Trojans on top.

The second game had a similar feel as Childersburg, designated as the home team, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. A pair of leadoff walks by St. James starter Carter Carroll in the second inning led to Cutler’s appearance and the freshman responded with seven strikeouts, two walks and three singles over the final four innings.  

“It was special, Charlie Cutler coming in there in the second ballgame,” Lucky said. “He’s been chomping to get in there. He has been solid for me all year long, but I haven’t used him extensively, as far as a bunch of innings. He came in and did the job for me.

“I told Carter he wasn’t sharp in that ballgame and that’s what his brothers are for, to come pick him up.”

The Trojans tied the game in the third inning and took a two-run lead in the fourth, but stranded five base runners in the two innings, squandering an opportunity to blow open the game.

“We were getting base runners, but we weren’t capitalizing on them,” St. James center fielder Tabor Offord said. “We were leaving a lot of people in scoring position. We just got the energy up late. We usually start out down but we’re going to come out on top.”

When the opportunity presented itself again in the fifth, the Trojans slammed the door with a two-run double by Cole Anderson and a three-run bomb over the center field fence by Offord to make it 9-2.

Offord silenced the Childersburg fans with the blast, then stood at the plate and admired his work for a few seconds before jogging around the bases.  

“I had to ‘ssh’ them because they were talking smack the whole time,” Offord said.

Jackson, Houser and Caden Anderson all went 3 for 6 in the doubleheader, while Cole Anderson went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and a pair of doubles to help the Trojans reach the quarterfinals for the first time in seven years.

“I think it’s exciting but it’s just a business trip for us,” Offord said. “We have to handle business every round and get to the ‘ship.”   

AHSAA 2023 STATE QUARTERFINAL PLAYOFFS

Here are the pairings for the quarterfinals of the Alabama High School Athletic Association baseball state playoffs. All games are a best-of-three series with a doubleheader on Friday and a third game, if necessary, on Saturday unless otherwise noted. Times TBA.

CLASS 1A

Sweet Water (17-15) vs. Brantley (16-7)

Billingsley (18-3) vs. Leroy (18-17)

Appalachian (25-3) vs. Sumiton Christian (18-8)

Hackleburg (23-9) vs. Coosa Christian (25-11)

CLASS 2A

G.W. Long (25-8) vs. St. Luke’s Episcopal (16-15)

Ariton (25-10) vs. Pike Liberal Arts (22-11)

Whitesburg Christian (18-11) vs. Vincent (26-4)

Lindsay Lane Christian (26-9) vs. Donoho (23-3)

CLASS 3A

St. James (20-11) at Providence Christian (19-8)

Prattville Christian (24-6) at Houston Academy (22-6)

Phil Campbell (27-6) at Lauderdale County (18-16)

Gordo (28-4) at Piedmont (25-8)

CLASS 4A

UMS-Wright (23-11) at Trinity (22-12)

American Christian (22-15) at Bayside Academy (22-9)

St. John Paul II (24-10) at Priceville (28-4)   

Etowah (24-11) at West Limestone (24-11)

CLASS 5A

Holtville (22-12) vs. Headland (25-7)

St. Paul’s Episcopal (23-8) vs. Demopolis (16-10)

Arab (32-7) vs. Boaz (21-12)

Russellville (22-13) vs. Sardis (26-6)

CLASS 6A

Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa (21-15) vs. Stanhope Elmore

Spanish Fort (24-14) vs. Saraland (26-8)

Cullman (21-19) vs Gardendale (24-11)

Hartselle (28-7) vs. Oxford (33-6)

CLASS 7A

Baker (24-15) vs. Smiths Station

Central-Phenix City (29-8) vs. Enterprise (22-12)

Vestavia Hills (28-9) vs. Spain Park

Bob Jones (35-10) vs. Thompson (31-3)