FRIDAY PREPS: Trinity baseball sweeps Cottage Hill to advance; MA soccer moves into 2nd Round (state scores)

STAFF REPORT

BASEBALL

Trinity 5-18, Cottage Hill 3-1

MOBILE -- Ben Easterling pitched the Wildcats to a win in the opener and Trinity routed Cottage Hill in the second game to sweep the best-of-three series on Friday.

Trinity (27-5) will return home to Whittle-Armstrong Field next Friday for a best-of-three quarterfinal series against either T.R. Miller or Opp, which split a doubleheader on Friday and will play the deciding game on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Easterling pitched nine innings, allowing nine hits but walking just one and striking out 12 to pick up the win over the Warriors. 

Christopher Bryan went 2 for 3 to lead the Trinity offense. Grayson Ashe went 1 for 3 with a double and Brady Rascoll went 1 for 3, scored a run and drove in two more. Easterling went 1 for 4 with an RBI and Mac McClinton went 1 for 3 with an RBI and a double.

Eric Boudreaux went 2 for 4 and Hunter Gibson went 2 for 5 with an RBI to lead the Warriors.

In the second game, Fleming Hall pitched a complete game, scattering four hits while walking none and striking out eight in five innings. 

Easterling went 2 for 3, scored a run and had five RBIs, Ashe went 2 for 3 with three RBIs, David Michael Lieux went 3 for 4, scored three times and drove in a run and McClinton went 4 for 5, scored three runs and drove in two more. Rascoll went 2 for 2, scored twice and drove in a pair of runs, while Simmons Byrd went 2 for 4, scored twice and drove in a run. 

Autauga Academy 3, Lowndes Academy 1

PRATTVILLE -- Noah Ray pitched a two-hitter to help Autauga win a defensive battle with Lowndes on Friday at Autauga Academy in the Class AA quarterfinals. 

Autauga will play host to Patrician next Wednesday in a semifinal doubleheader in the best-of-three series. A third game, if necessary, will be played on Thursday.

Ray allowed just an unearned run while walking two and striking out six in seven innings. He also drew three walks at the plate, leading to one of the Generals’ three runs. 

Lake Barber went 1 for 3 and scored a run. Devan Martin went 1 for 2.

A trio of Lowndes pitchers held Autauga to just three hits. Parker Harris went 1 for 3 and scored a run for the Rebels, while Colby Briggs had the other hit, going 1 for 1. 

Autauga Academy 4-3, Lowndes Academy 3-4

PRATTVILLE -- Devan Martin had a pair of hits, including a double and the game-winning single in the seventh to drive in the winning run in the first game of the AA quarterfinal series with Lowndes Academy on Thursday.

Lowndes rallied to win the second game in the best-of-three series with an identical 4-3 score. A third game will be played on Friday afternoon.

Martin went 2 for 4 with an RBI and Josh Palmer went 2 for 3 with a double and scored two runs to lead the Generals’ offense. John Gabehart pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits and three runs while walking two and striking out two in seven innings. 

Parker Harris went 2 for 3 with an RBI for Lowndes, while Trey Thomas went 1 for 1 with an RBI and Ashton Yelder went 1 for 4 with an RBI.

BOYS SOCCER

Montgomery Academy 10, Charles Henderson 0

Goalkeeper Will Beringer had a quiet night as the Montgomery Academy defense prevented any shots on goal by Charles Henderson in a 10-0 victory in the first round of the 4A-5A state playoffs at McLemore Field on Friday night.

Montgomery Academy (21-0-2) will play host to St. Michael’s in the second round of the state playoffs on Tuesday at McLemore Field at 6:30 p.m.

Alex Kohn scored four goals and assisted on a Ruston Bassett goal, including a penalty kick right before halftime that gave the Eagles a 5-0 lead.

Bobby Eskridge scored a pair of goals, including one in the first half and another in the second half with an assist from Lukas Yi. 

Other goals were scored by John Allen Lachney, Ethan Yi (with an assist by Brewer Welch) and Win Berry. 

AHSAA State soccer First-Round Pairings/Results

First-Round Pairings
CLASS 6A BOYS
(First Round, April 28-30)
McAdory (9-1-3) 3, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 1
Helena (14-8-2) 4, Stanhope Elmore (10-8-2) 1
Northridge (8-8-3) 5, Bessemer City (2-2-0) 3
Pelham (16-3-1) 2, Wetumpka (11-7-3) 0
Opelika (10-6-0) 7, Park Crossing (4-7-0) 0
McGill-Toolen Catholic (17-8-0) 2, Gulf Shores (5-8-2) 0
Eufaula 9, R.E. Lee (4-8-0) 3
St. Paul's Episcopal (10-6-1)l at Robertsdale (12-5-1), Sat.
Fort Payne (12-7-2) 3, Athens (9-5-1) 1
Southside-Gadsdem (12-4-2) 3, Decatur (6-13-1) 2
Randolph (17-5-1) 1, Hazel Green (12-8-0) 0
Springville (11-4-0) 3, Cullman (11-12-1) 2 (2 OT, PK 4-3)
Pinson Valley (9-10-3) 10, Woodlawn (1-8-1) 0
Mountain Brook (20-2-2) 10, Jasper (10-4-1) 0
Shades Valley (7-10-1) 4, Mortimer Jordan (6-10-0) 1
Homewood (16-4-1) 10, Gardendale (11-5-3) 0

CLASS 4A/5A BOYS
John Carroll Catholic (10-11-2) 8, Sipsey Valley (10-3-0) 1
Pike Road (15-5-0) 3, Sylacauga (12-5-2) 1
American Christian (14-2-2) 5, Altamont (6-6-1) 0
Holtville (13-6-2) at Indian Springs (16-1-4), Sat.
Montgomery Academy (21-0-2) 10, Charles Henderson (10-5-0) 0
St. Michael Catholic (12-5-3) 9, Satsuma (7-12-0) 0
LAMP (14-4-1) 2, Carroll, Ozark (11-2-2) 0
Faith Academy 3, UMS-Wright 0
St. John Paul II Catholic (9-7-1) 6, Madison County (5-8-0) 0
West Morgan (10-7-1) 3, Priceville (11-4-1) 0
Westminster Christian (7-0-0) 1, West Limestone (6-3-0) 0
Russellville 10, Brewer 0
Crossville (13-1-0) 5, Oneonta (13-5-0) 1
Carver-Birmingham (16-1-0) 7, White Plains (9-6-0) 0
Guntersville (16-6-1) at Westbrook Christian (16-2-2), Sat.
Leeds (14-6-2) 5, Lincoln (15-8-1) 1
 

CLASS 6A GIRLS
McAdory (7-0-6) 5, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa 2
Pelham (13-5-1) 2, Wetumpka (9-7-0) 0
Northridge (8-8-3) 10, Hueytown (0-4-0) 0
Helena (14-6-2) 7, Benjamin Russell (10-6-1) 1
Opelika advances with BYE
McGill-Toolen Catholic (13-7-1) 5, Baldwin County 0
Russell County advances with BYE
St. Paul's Episcopal 2, Gulf Shores 0
Randolph 2, Hazel Green 1
Southside-Gadsden (16-3-2) 4, Cullman (7-9-1) 1 
Fort Payne (11-7-4) 3, Athens 1
Springville (11-3-1) 3, Decatur (12-7-2) 2
Pinson Valley (7-2-2) 15, Huffman (2-8-0) 0
Homewood (16-2-2) 10, Jasper (5-7-2) 0
Shades Valley (10-3-2) 3, Mortimer Jordan (4-10-0) 2
Mountain Brook (12-4-1) 6, Gardendale (12-4-0) 0

CLASS 4A/5A GIRLS
John Carroll Catholic (9-14-0) 10, Demopolis (6-6-1) 0
Sylacauga (7-2-0) 1, Pike Road (6-3-0) 0
American Christian (12-3-0) 2, Altamont (5-6-0) 1 (2 OT, PK 4-3)
Marbury (18-3-0) at Indian Springs (12-2-2), Sat.
Montgomery Academy (14-2-1) advances with BYE
St. Michael Catholic (14-4-0) 9, Satsuma (10-8-0) 0
St. James (12-3-1) 7, Carroll-Ozark (13-5-1) 1
Faith Academy (15-3-0) 2, UMS-Wright (4-6-0) 1
East Limestone (17-3-0) 6, Madison County (9-8-1) 0
West Morgan (10-8-0) 2, Priceville (12-5-1) 1
John Paul II Catholic (6-2-0) at Westminster Christian (6-0-0), Sat.
Russellville 4, West Point 0
Guntersville 2, St. Clair County 1
 Jacksonville (8-5-0) at  Leeds (9-9-1), Sat.
Westbrook Christian (17-3-0) 4, Douglas (10-5-0) 0
Lincoln (15-7-0) 2, Moody (7-11-1) 0