FRIDAY RECAP: St. James, ACA eliminated from playoffs; Lowndes advances in AISA first round

St. James pitcher Adam Garnett flres a strike in the series against American Christian on Friday. (Tim Gayle)

COMPILED BY TIM GAYLE

American Christian Academy was sporting a deceptive 12-12 record when they took the field for their first-round playoff game at St. James on Friday, but Trojan coach Keith Lucky wasn’t fooled.

“They do a good job,” he said. “They play some pretty good teams.”

But while he had the Patriots figured out, it was a little harder understanding his own team. On a day when their best was needed, the Trojans didn’t have it.

“It was the worst we’ve played all year,” Lucky said. “Not to take anything away from that bunch, but you cannot play like we did and win a game against a team like that.”

American Christian rolled out to a 12-3 win in the first game, then slammed the door on the Trojans 6-0 in the second game to sweep the best-of-three 4A playoff series at St. James on Friday. 

American Christian (14-12) will return home to play Mobile Christian in the second round of the 4A state playoffs on Friday. 

For St. James, it was a disappointing end to what had been a successful season. The Trojans couldn’t produce when they needed a hit, couldn’t make the pitches to keep themselves out of trouble and made far too many base running blunders at this point in the season. 

Braxton Taft singled twice, walked twice and was hit by a pitch as the ACA leadoff batter reached base in all five plate appearances in the first game. John Blount went 3 for 4 and drove in a pair of runs and Carson Sute went 2 for 5 and drove in a run as the Patriots led 5-0 after two innings and 8-0 before the Trojans finally got on the scoreboard in the fifth. 

Shaun Bridges went 2 for 4 and drove in a run in the fifth before ACA scored four more in the seventh. Carter Carroll had an RBI single in the seventh and KJ Jackson, who went 2 for 2, drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh but it was too little, too late.

St. James ace Cooper Wright lasted just 2.2 innings, allowing six runs on eight hits.   

“Most of my pitchers weren’t ‘on’ tonight,” Lucky said. “Foster (Rasmussen) came in and did a heck of a job. But you can’t have a bad day against a good team.”

The Trojans didn’t look much better in the second game as the Patriots scored three runs in the first and three more in the second, adding to a 3-0 lead with the help of a wild pitch and a two-run single by Max Milligan. 

“That’s the hardest part about the way the playoffs are set up in the first four rounds,” Lucky said, referring to a Friday doubleheader and a third game, if necessary, to be played the next day. “It’s tough on a baseball team when you come out flat. It’s hard to flip that switch on. We weren’t able to do it. We had opportunities but it just seemed like every single thing that could go wrong went wrong. It just wasn’t our day.”

St. James ends the season at 22-10, but can count the 4A Area 3 championship among its accomplishments.

“I had a great bunch of guys, a very tight-knit bunch that pulled for each other,” Lucky said. “They played hard together. I’m going to miss them. I hate for it to end the way it did. I had bigger ideas and they did too, but it just didn’t work out for us.”

BASEBALL

Gordo 6-12, Alabama Christian 4-1

GORDO -- The Green Wave jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and held off the Eagles in the first game, then overwhelmed ACA with a 17-hit attack in the second game to sweep the first-round 4A series on Friday.

Ben Capps pitched a complete game, striking out eight ACA batters and weathering a seventh-inning rally that fell short, 6-4, in the first game. 

Hayes Hunt had three hits and an RBI for Alabama Christian, Isaac Warrick had a pair of hits and an RBI and Hunter Barfoot had a pair of hits. 

Warrick went five innings for the Eagles, striking out 11 Gordo batters.

In the second game, Gordo broke open a tight game with three runs in the third and added four more in the sixth to end the game on the mercy rule. 

Caleb Jennings had four hits and four RBIs for Gordo, while Capps had four hits and two RBIs.

Jesse Lang pitched a complete game for the Green Wave, allowing just two hits while striking out eight in six innings. 

Gordo will remain home to play Munford in the second round next Friday. 

Houston Academy 18-8, Prattville Christian 0-1

DOTHAN -- Tucker Jackson pitched a no hitter and struck out 10 as the Raiders coasted to an 18-0 win over Prattville Christian in the 3A first-round series on Friday.

John Pitchford had three hits as HA scored four runs in the first inning, three in the second and five in the third. Prattville Christian (12-14) never recovered as the Raiders cruised to an 8-1 win in the second game of the doubleheader.

Houston Academy will remain home to play Bayside Academy in the second round next Friday.

Helena 12-18, Park Crossing 2-3

HELENA -- Helena broke open the 6A first-round series with big innings against Park Crossing, sweeping the Thunderbirds out of the playoffs on Friday.

In the first game, Helena scored eight runs in the first inning, chasing Park Crossing starter Terry Ware in the first inning. Miles Mitchell went 2 for 2 and drove in four runs for Helena, while Mitchell Rhodes picked up the win by allowing just three hits and striking out eight in five innings.

Marcus Smith went 2 for 3 and drove in a run to lead the Thunderbirds. Matthew Pettway went 1 for 2.

In the second game, Logan Barber allowed just four hits and three runs in 3.1 innings as Helena rallied from a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the second, two in the third, eight in the fourth and five more in the fifth. 

Isaiah Johnson went 1 for 3 and scored a run, Christopher Mayo went 1 for 3 and drove in a run, Ware went 1 for 3 and James Graham went 1 for 2.

Helena (17-12) will remain home to play Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa in the second round of the 6A playoffs next Friday, while Park Crossing ends the season at 9-11.  

Lowndes Academy 16-18, South Choctaw Academy 6-5

LOWNDESBORO -- The Rebels pounded out 33 hits in a pair of run-rule victories, sweeping South Choctaw Academy in the first round of the AISA Class AA playoffs on Friday. 

Lowndes Academy (25-7) will travel to Prattville next week to play defending AA state champion Autauga in a best-of-three series.

In the first game, Lowndes ended the game with the mercy rule, scoring five runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to pull away from an 8-6 lead.

Clayton Hussey went 2 for 4 and drove in four runs, Colby Briggs went 3 for 5 and drove in three runs and Noah Smith went 3 for 4, scored three times and drove in three runs. Parker Lawrence and Cooper Dansby both scored twice.

Briggs was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs on two hits while striking out six, but needed relief help from Parker Lawrence and Jackson Self to secure the victory.

In the second game, Lowndes scored six runs in the second inning and nine more in the fourth to put away South Choctaw. Briggs went 3 for 3 and drove in a run, Ashton Yelder went 3 for 3, scored twice and drove in a run and Self went 3 for 3, scored three times and drove in a pair of runs. Dominic Dougan went 2 for 2 with a pair of RBIs and Parker Lee Harris went 2 for 4, scored three runs and drove in another.  

BOYS SOCCER

Trinity 10, New Brockton 0

The Wildcats finished area play undefeated in their final regular season game on Friday at Ragsdale-Boykin Field. 

Jackson Champion finished with a hat trick, while Josh Hixon had two goals and Grayden Flowers, Norris Pemberton, SJ Han, Browder Gulledge and Louden Wilson each chipped in a goal. 

Trinity (16-3) will host the first round of the 1A-3A state playoffs on May 3. 

Catholic 2, Houston Academy 1

DOTHAN -- Sam Rogers scored both of the Knights’ goals, which was good enough for the area win at Houston Academy, but not enough to get Catholic into the state playoffs. 

Joe Rogers and Max Barranco assisted Rogers on his goals. Goalkeeper Harrison Howell had 12 saves for the Knights, which closes out the 2022 season at home against Prattville Christian on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

GIRLS SOCCER

Marbury 3, Prattville Christian 1

PRATTVILLE -- Emily Branch scored a goal for the Panthers on an assist from CoCo Thomas as PCA came up short in a game against Marbury at Panther Stadium on Friday. 

PCA (6-5-1) will travel to play Catholic next Tuesday before hosting a first round playoff game the following week.

The Panthers won the junior varsity boys game, 4-3, over the Bulldogs as freshman Cade Segars reeled off four consecutive goals in the second half, including the game winner on a free kick with 3.8 seconds left, to wipe out Marbury’s 3-0 lead. Jacob Hollon had an assist for PCA, which ends the season with a record of 4-6-2.

BOYS TENNIS

Montgomery Academy fourth, Trinity fifth in 6A tennis championships

MOBILE -- Whit Davis can’t help his team win a state championship, but he can determine the outcome of the finals.

Davis, who won at No. 2 singles last year to help Montgomery Academy win a state title, will face Northridge’s Braden Hannig in the No. 1 singles championship on Saturday at the Mobile Tennis Center.

A win by Hannig will give him the No. 1 title and his team, locked in a 62-62 tie with Mountain Brook, a state championship. A win by Davis will give him the coveted individual title and leave Mountain Brook and Northridge in a playoff scenario. 

Spanish Fort is in third place with 40 points, followed by Montgomery Academy (37) and Trinity Presbyterian (30).

Regardless of the finish, Montgomery Academy will be competing in 7A next year due to Competitive Balance Factor, while Trinity will remain in 6A. 

The defending state champion Eagles couldn’t place enough players in the finals to reclaim their title. Davis is battling at No. 1 (after beating Trinity’s Timothy Hornsby in the quarterfinals) and Gaines Freeman reached the finals at No. 6 singles before losing to Mountain Brook’s Trey Stiles 2-6, 2-6.  

At No. 3 doubles, the MA tandem of John Alford and Jackson Brown defeated Northridge’s Jose Alcocer and James Embry, 6-1, 6-1.

In No. 1 doubles, Trinity’s Samuel Treadwell and James Treadwell reached the finals before losing to Hannig and Ethan Wilson of Northridge, 2-6, 2-6. Samuel Treadwell also reached the semifinals in No. 2 singles before losing to Mountain Brook’s Luke Schwefler 2-6, 1-6. 

GIRLS TENNIS

Montgomery Academy places third in 6A state tennis

MOBILE -- For the second straight year, Mountain Brook senior Pippa Roy won the No 1 singles and No. 1 doubles title, defeating Montgomery Academy freshman Gabby Barrera 6-0, 6-4 in the singles competition. 

Barrera and Clara Ryan competed in No. 2 doubles, reaching the semifinals before losing to Emma Clement and Maggie Sullivan of St. Paul’s, 6-4, 5-7, 11-13.

Mountain Brook defended its title with 71 points, followed by St. Paul’s Episcopal with 62 and Montgomery Academy with 45. Trinity was 10th with seven points. 

Mountain Brook won four singles and two doubles championships.

Montgomery Academy’s Jenna Chandler rallied to win the No. 2 singles title Friday, dropping the first set to St. Paul’s Emma Jane Hamilton 6-0 before rallying to win the match 6-4, 10-3 in the next two sets.

At No. 6 singles, Montgomery Academy’s MaryLee Kelso lost in the championship match to Mountain Brook’s Ann Royal Goodson, 4-6, 2-6. MA teammates MaeMae Voltz and Kareena Singh lost in the semifinals, with Voltz losing to Mountain Brook’s Annie Lacey at No. 3, 2-6, 1-6, and Singh losing to St. Paul’s Grace Swain at No. 4, 1-6, 3-6. 

At No. 3 doubles, Kelso and Cate Peeples reached the semifinals before losing to Mountain Brook’s Lillian Still and Mary Neal Pole, 1-6, 2-6.