SPORTS BRIEFS: Marbury, Brew Tech advance in regionals; St. James baseball wins

COMBINED REPORTS

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Brewbaker Tech 41, Central-Clay 30

BIRMINGHAM – Brew Tech took a 17-0 lead, then withstood a Central-Clay challenge in the third quarter that cut the margin to seven points before defeating the Volunteers 41-30 in the Central Regional at Bill Harris Arena on Friday.

Brew Tech (18-15) will face Marbury in the 5A region championship game on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Jillian Baine had 12 points to lead the Rams, who watched a 20-1 lead dwindle to 23-8 at the half, then to 32-22 entering the fourth quarter.

Ramyah Billingsley led Central with 11 points and nine rebounds.

Marbury 55, Selma 43

BIRMINGHAM – Marbury scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from a tight game and defeat the Saints.

The Bulldogs will face Brew Tech in the Central Regional championship game on Wednesday at 9 a.m.

Marbury led just 36-31 entering the fourth quarter, but pulled away late as Gabrielle Brown had 21 points, including a 13 of 18 performance at the free-throw line. Justice Blackmon added 14.

Kaniyah Woods led Selma with 13 points, followed by Jykierra Oliver with 10. 

BASEBALL

St. James 4, Catholic 3

St. James completed an improbable comeback as Tabor Offord hit a low line drive past the second baseman with two outs in the seventh inning to drive in the winning run as the Trojans came from behind to defeat the visiting Knights, 4-3.

St. James was held hitless in the first five innings by Catholic starter Ethan Levanda, who only gave up two walks and a hit by pitch in his five inning stint. Catholic scored two runs after two were out in the top of the second inning as Sal Barranco and Caleb McCreary each had two-out, run-scoring singles.

Tabor Offord replaced Trojan starter Charlie Cutler in the fourth inning and gave up an unearned run to give the Knights a three-run lead with McCreary, who had three singles in his first three at-bats, driving in another run.

St. James scored a run in the bottom of the sixth off Knight reliever Ellis Thoms after Clint Houser led off with a double, the Trojans’ first hit of the game. Offord doubled him in two batters later.

In the bottom of the seventh, Charlie Cutler singled and Mason Hicks walked to chase Thomas and brought in Henry Dixon. After a pop out, Benton Offord singled to load the bases with one out. On a 3-0 count to Houser, a strike was taken, but the runner from third had thought it was a ball and began walking home to be thrown out by the catcher for the second out. Houser would eventually walk to reload the bases. Caden Anderson hit a grounder to shortstop, but the throw bounced away allowing the two tying runs to score and Anderson advanced to third. Tabor Offord's hit pushed Anderson across with the winning run.

Trojan pitchers struck out 18 batters - Cutler with eight and Offord 10. Offord pitched four innings allowing an unearned run, retiring the last 10 Knight batters of the game. Dixon was the loser for Catholic allowing the three seventh-inning unearned runs.

St. James (1-1) will travel to Thorsby to play against the Rebels and Jemison on Monday.