AHSAA STATE TOURNEYS: Holtville falls in baseball opener; local teams eliminated in softball
STAFF REPORT
OXFORD – Defending state champion Russellville (34-12) moved within one victory of back-to-back Class 5A state titles with Wednesday night’s 2-0 victory over Holtville (34-6) in the Best-of-3 championship series at Oxford’s Choccolocco Park.
Russellville’s Banks Langston struck out six and allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 innings to get the win and Braydon Spurgeon got the last out for the save.
The Golden Tigers scored unearned runs in the fifth and in the sixth, making the most of their five hits against Holtville pitcher Tanner Potts. Potts allowed just five hits and struck out six but took the loss.
Casen Heaps and Nathan Brockway each had doubles for Russellville, Drew Barrett slugged a double for Holtville. Drew Barrett and Cooper Mann had the only other hits for Holtville (34-6), which is trying to win its first state baseball title since going back-to-back in 1982 and 1983. Russellville is vying for its fifth title since 2015.
Game 2 is set for Thursday at 4 p.m., at Jacksonville State University’s Rudy Abbott Field-Jim Case Stadium, with game three, if necessary, to follow.
SOFTBALL
Spain Park l0, Prattville 2
OXFORD -- Spain Park scored a run in the third to break a 2-2 tie, then added five runs in the fourth to blow open the game and eliminate the Lions from the state tournament with a 10-2 win on Wednesday.
The Lions dropped into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament earlier in the day with a 6-2 loss to Central. Spain Park was eliminated later in the day by Fairhope.
Charlee Bennett had a pair of hits and Emma Jolley had two hits and two RBIs to lead Spain Park.
Kaylee Robles had two hits and drove in a run to lead Prattville, which was eliminated in two consecutive games for the fourth time in six state tournament appearances.
Brew Tech 3, Moody 2
OXFORD -- Airele Anderson doubled in the seventh, stole third and scored on a single by Kyra Wallace to break a 2-2 tie and helped Brew Tech to a 3-2 win over Moody in the state tournament on Wednesday.
Both teams had fallen into the loser’s bracket of the double-elimination tournament with losses earlier in the day and Moody was eliminated with the loss to Brew Tech. The Rams were eliminated later in the day with an 11-9 loss to Rehobeth.
Brew Tech had taken a 2-0 lead in the third inning on back-to-back RBI doubles by Khamiyah Brown and Grace Hunter before Moody tied the game late.
Satsuma 4, Brew Tech 3 (11)
OXFORD -- Satsuma scored a run in the bottom of the 11th to defeat the Rams 4-3 in an opening round game in the state tournament on Wednesday.
The game was tied 2-2 before heading into extra innings. Both teams scored a run in the 10th before Satsuma added the game winner in the 11th.
Taniyah Brown took the loss for the Rams despite striking out 16 batters in 10.2 innings.
Brew Tech got two hits each from Airele Anderson, Khamiyah Brown and Gabbie York.
West Point 6, Elmore County 0
OXFORD -- The Panthers were eliminated from the state tournament in two games after West Point scored six runs in the seventh to break a scoreless tie.
Carlie Wilkins went the distance, striking out nine and holding Elmore County to one hit.
Brindlee Phillips had a pair of hits and drove in three runs for West Point, while Bethany Minck had two hits and an RBI.
Rehobeth 4, Elmore County 0
OXFORD -- Rehobeth scored a run in the sixth and two more in the seventh to pull away from Elmore County in an opening round game in the state tournament on Wednesday.
Regan Valenzuela, Mattox Richards and Gracie Alberson all had two hits each for West Point.
Shellie Littlefield held Elmore County to a pair of hits, striking out nine in seven innings of work.
Hailey O’Brien took the loss for the Panthers despite striking out eight in seven innings of work.
AHSAA STATE SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
CLASS 1A
Game 1 -- Cedar Bluff vs. Waterloo, Friday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 2 -- Holy Spirit vs. Sweet Water, Friday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 3 -- Brantley vs. Maplesville, Friday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 4 -- Skyline vs. Woodland, Friday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 5 -- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, Friday, 2:15 p.m.
Game 6 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, Friday, 2:15 p.m.
Game 7 -- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, Friday, 2:15 p.m.
Game 8 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, Friday, 2:15 p.m.
Game 9 -- Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 10 -- Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5, Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 11 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, Friday, 5 p.m.
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, Saturday, 10 a.m.
Game 13 -- Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 14 -- Finals, Saturday, 5 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS 2A
Game 1 -- Spring Garden vs. Mars Hill Bible, Friday, 9 a.m.
Game 2 -- Thorsby vs. G.W. Long, Friday, 9 a.m.
Game 3 -- Orange Beach vs. Luverne, Friday, 9 a.m.
Game 4 -- Hatton vs. Ider, Friday, 9 a.m.
Game 5 -- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 6 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7 -- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 8 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, Friday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 9 -- Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, Friday, 4 p.m.
Game 10 -- Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5, Friday, 4 p.m.
Game 11 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, Friday, 4 p.m.
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, Saturday, 9 a.m.
Game 13 -- Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, Saturday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 14 -- Finals, Saturday, 1:30 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS 3A
Game 1 -- Plainview 6, Carbon Hill 1
Game 2 -- Houston Academy 4, Beulah 1
Game 3 -- Mobile Christian 10, Prattville Christian 1
Game 4 -- Oakman 6, Piedmont 2
Game 5 -- Beulah 4, Carbon Hill 1
Game 6 -- Prattville Christian 5, Piedmont 3
Game 7 -- Houston Academy 2, Plainview 1
Game 8 -- Mobile Christian 2, Oakman 0
Game 9 -- Plainview 6, Prattville Christian 1
Game 10 -- Beulah 10, Oakman 6
Game 11 -- Houston Academy 4, Mobile Christian 1
Game 12 -- Beulah 5, Plainview 1
Game 13 -- Mobile Christian 2, Beulah 0
Game 14 -- Houston Academy 5, Mobile Christian 3, Houston Academy wins championship
CLASS 4A
Game 1 -- North Jackson vs. Brooks, Thursday, 9 a.m.
Game 2 -- Northside vs. Geneva, Thursday, 9 a.m.
Game 3 -- Dale County vs. American Christian, Thursday, 9 a.m.
Game 4 -- Curry vs. Madison County, Thursday, 9 a.m.
Game 5 -- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 6 -- Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7 -- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 8 -- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 9 -- Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 6, Thursday, 4 p.m.
Game 10 -- Loser Game 8 vs. Winner Game 5, Thursday, 4 p.m.
Game 11 -- Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, Thursday, 4 p.m.
Game 12 -- Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, Friday, 9 a.m.
Game 13 -- Loser Game 11 vs. Winner Game 12, Friday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 14 -- Finals, Friday, 3 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS 5A
Game 1 -- Alexandria 5, West Point 0
Game 2 -- Rehobeth 4, Elmore County 0
Game 3 -- Satsuma 4, Brew Tech 3
Game 4 -- Hayden 1, Moody 0
Game 5 -- West Point 6, Elmore County 0
Game 6 -- Brew Tech 3, Moody 2
Game 7 -- Alexandria 11, Rehobeth 0
Game 8 -- Satsuma 4, Hayden 3
Game 9 -- Rehobeth 11, Brew Tech 9
Game 10 -- Hayden 9, West Point 4
Game 11 -- Alexandria 8, Satsuma 0
Game 12 -- Rehobeth vs. Hayden, Thursday, 10:45 a.m.
Game 13 -- Satsuma vs. Rehobeth-Hayden winner, Thursday, 12:30 p.m.
Game 14 -- Finals, Alexandria vs. Game 13 winner, Thursday, 5 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)
CLASS 6A
Game 1 -- Mortimer Jordan 16, Springville 11
Game 2 -- Helena 3, Robertsdale 0
Game 3 -- Calera 8, Baldwin County 3
Game 4 -- Athens 4, Pell City 1
Game 5 -- Springville 10, Robertsdale 0
Game 6 -- Pell City 8, Baldwin County 2
Game 7 -- Helena 10, Mortimer Jordan 8
Game 8 -- Athens 6, Calera 1
Game 9 -- Pell City 5, Mortimer Jordan 4
Game 10 -- Calera 2, Springville 1
Game 11 -- Athens 3, Helena 1
Game 12 -- Pell City 3, Calera 0
Game 13 -- Helena 2, Pell City 0
Game 14 -- Athens 4, Helena 2, Athens wins championship
CLASS 7A
Game 1 -- Hewitt-Trussville 11, Hoover 1
Game 2 -- Fairhope 7, Mary Montgomery 0
Game 3 -- Central-Phenix City 6, Prattville 2
Game 4 -- Thompson 4, Spain Park 2
Game 5 -- Hoover 14, Mary Montgomery 1
Game 6 -- Spain Park 10, Prattville 2
Game 7 -- Hewitt-Trussville 4, Fairhope 3
Game 8 -- Thompson 9, Central-Phenix City 0
Game 9 -- Fairhope 7, Spain Park 0
Game 10 -- Hoover 9, Central-Phenix City 5
Game 11 -- Thompson 7, Hewitt-Trussville 3
Game 12 -- Fairhope vs. Hoover, Thursday, 9 a.m.
Game 13 -- Hewitt-Trussville vs. Fairhope-Hoover winner, Thursday, 10:45 p.m.
Game 14 -- Finals, Thompson vs. Game 13 winner, Thursday, 1:30 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)