WEDNESDAY PREPS: ACA earns area win over STJ; Catholic knocks off Lee

COMBINED REPORTS

BASEBALL

Alabama Christian 8, St. James 7 (9)

ACA survived an unlikely Trojan comeback to force the first game of their three-game series into extra innings, then held on for an 8-7 win at the Trojans’ home field on Wednesday.

The 3A Area 6 series was moved up a day to avoid inclement weather on Friday. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Thursday at the AUM Baseball Complex starting at 4 p.m.

In Wednesday’s game, the Eagles took a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning as Hayes Hunt led off the game with a single and an out later Preston Hicks added a single. Each stole a base and were both driven in on a Landon Nelson single.

The Trojans answered with four runs to take the lead. Carter Carroll and Clint Houser each singled and were advanced a base on a sacrifice. J.B. Braswell drove them both in with a double and he was knocked in later on a single by Ethan Beard for a 3-2 lead. Saint James extended the lead in the bottom of the fourth on a Cole Anderson single. Courtesy runner Riley Britton stole second, advanced on a sacrifice, and scored on a Caden Anderson sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2.

ACA tied the game in the top of the fifth thanks to three Trojan infield errors. Mac Moorer drove in the first run on a successful squeeze play and Hunt later scored on one of the errors.

The Eagles added a run in the top of the sixth on a Hunt double and seemed to lock the game away with two more in the seventh -- an RBI single by Kaleb Hopkins and he would later score on a wild pitch to give ACA a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.

Hunt, the starting pitcher for the Eagles, got the first two outs before the Trojans scratched out three runs to send the game into extra innings. Tabor Offord walked, Clint Shores singled and Carter Carroll walked to load the bases. Clint Houser knocked in two runs with a single and Cole Anderson drove in Carroll with a single up the middle to tie the game. Saint James actually loaded the bases again but an infield popup left the game tied.  

Cooper Wright pitched the first 6.2 innings for Saint James before being replaced by Charlie Cutler who got the final out in the seventh. Each team went 3 up 3 down in the eighth. Hicks led off the Eagle ninth with a double and two outs later scored on a wild pitch to give ACA an 8-7 lead.

Mac Moorer came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth for ACA. Shores walked and was sacrificed to second. An infield single by Houser and a stolen base had runners on second and third with one out. An unsuccessful squeeze play got Shores tagged out at the plate by Judson Graham after a fine play by Moorer. A stolen base put runner on second and third again, but a flyout prevented the tying run from scoring.

 Hunt allowed just seven hits and three earned runs in eight innings, while Moorer earned the save. Hicks went 3 for 5 with a double and three runs scored, Hunt went 2 for 5 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, Nelson had a pair of RBIs and Moorer and Kaleb Hopkins each drove in a run.

Catholic 13, Robert E. Lee 0 (5)

Three pitchers combined to throw a shutout as the Knights defeated Robert E. Lee 13-0 on Senior Day on Wednesday.

The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was moved to Wednesday by inclement weather.

Catholic broke open a 1-0 game with six runs in the fourth inning as Caleb McCreary, Andrew Noell, Alex Fleet, Adrian White and Gavin Phelan all had RBIs.

Fleet, Noell and Hudson Parrish combined to throw the shutout. Fleet allowed just two hits in the first three innings, striking out six and walking one. Noell pitched the fourth inning and Parrish the fifth as the pair combined to hold the Generals without a hit while striking out two.  

McCreary, Justin Rose and Fleet all had two hits each to lead the Catholic offense.

Catholic (18-8) will take a break before resuming play on April 13 at home in a 4A Area 4 game with LAMP. The two teams will play a doubleheader the next day at LAMP.

Lowndes Academy 11, Crenshaw Christian 1

Lowndes Academy Varsity Rebels had everything working on Wednesday, winning big over Crenshaw Christian Academy Varsity Cougars 11-1
The Rebels pulled away in the sixth with  Kason Dismukes, Zack Azar, and Noah Smith each with RBIs in the inning.
Smith was the winning pitcher allowing four hits and one run over six innings, striking out two and walking one.
Smith also led Lowndes Academy with three hits. Ashton Yelder drove in one with a double.