SPRING PREP UPDATE: Trinity baseball dominates in Gulf Coast tourney; Catholic girls soccer gets key area win
COMBINED REPORTS
BASEBALL
Catholic 16, Booker T. Washington 6 (6)
Catholic scored nine runs in the fifth inning to end the game on the 10-run mercy rule and complete a three-game sweep of the Eagles on Tuesday.
The first two games count in the standings while the third game serves as a tiebreaker if necessary. Catholic and Trinity are 2-0 in 3A Area 6, followed by LAMP in third place at 0-0 and Booker T. Washington and Bullock County tied for fourth at 0-2.
Andrew Noell pitched the final 4.2 innings for Catholic, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out 10 and walking one.
Caleb McCreary went 3 for 3 and scored three runs while driving in one, while Jayden Phifer went 3 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI.
Justin Rose went 2 for 4, scored three runs and drove in two; Kam Miller went 2 for 4, scored three runs and drove in two; and Josh Palmer went 2 for 4, scored a run and drove in two. Noell went 2 for 3, scored a run and drove in one.
Catholic will play a three-game area series with Bullock County on Thursday and Friday.
Trinity 11, Winfield 0
FOLEY -- Ross Sanders drove in a pair of runs and Cooper Bernier and Fleming Hall each added an RBI as the Wildcats rolled to an 11-0 win over the Pirates in the Gulf Coast Classic II on Tuesday.
Hall and D.M. Lieux each had two hits to lead the Wildcats.
Webber McClinton picked up the win, striking out four Pirates in five innings of work.
Trinity (7-7) returns to action in the tournament on Wednesday, playing Rogers (Ark.) Heritage in Foley.
Prattville 4, Oak Mountain 3 (8)
PRATTVILLE -- Grant Williams hit a two-out single to right field, advanced to second on a walk to Clayton Smith and scored on a full-count double by Tanner Vance off of the right field wall as the Lions pulled out a 4-3 victory in the bottom of the eighth inning at Roger Lambert Field on Tuesday.
Junior Zack Ervie delivered a strong five-inning performance, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out six and walking one. Junior Andrew Hicks pitched the next 1.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two.
Senior Will Baskin (2-0) relieved Hicks with two outs in a 3-3 game and runners on first and second, slamming the door on the Oak Mountain rally with a flyout to center. He then held the Eagles scoreless in the eighth, allowing just a hit while striking out one in 1.1 innings.
The Lions went down 1-0 in the first, then scored two in the third as Vance beat out an infield single, Mason Piper laid down a perfect bunt single, then after back-to-back hitters reached by fielder's choice, Ervie hit a grounder to third and reached base on a throwing error that scored Piper and Landon Sumrall.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Lions extended the lead to 3-1 as Ervie singled in Drew Jolley.
Vance went 2-3 with a double, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Piper went 2 for 4 and scored a run.
Prattville (12-7) travels to Chelsea on Saturday for a single game versus the Hornets.
Catholic 10-11, Brew Tech 0-1
Catholic got a pair of strong pitching performances from Alex Fleet and Josh Palmer to sweep a doubleheader from the Rams, ending the first game in the sixth inning on the mercy rule, then scoring eight runs in the fifth inning of the second game to end the second game in similar fashion.
Fleet pitched a complete game in the opener, allowing just three hits while striking out six in six innings of work.
Caleb McCreary went 2 for 3 with a pair of runs and two RBIs and Andrew Noell went 2 for 3 with a run scored and three RBIs as the Knights scored three runs in the second inning, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth.
Palmer pitched a complete game in the nightcap, allowing just four hits and a run while striking out eight and walking one in five innings.
Kam Miller went 2 for 2 with a run scored and two RBIs, Palmer went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBIs, Adrian White went 1 for 4 with a run scored and two RBIs and Justin Rose went 1 for 2 with a run scored and two RBIs.
Pike Road 12, St. James 4
A pair of Patriot pitchers combined on a two hitter and swept the series by taking the second game played at St. James by a 12-4 score after winning at Pike Road two days earlier 10-2.
Pike Road, which never trailed, scored its first run on the second inning. Bruce Painter singled, courtesy runner Trey Caver advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches, and scored on a single by Runner Striplin. They added three more runs in the top of the third on a dropped tag at the plate and a two-run single by Nigel Jenkins.
St. James scored a run without the benefit of a hit in the bottom of the third. Ethan Beard led off with a walk, took second and third on a stolen base and a wild pitch, and scored on a groundout by starting pitcher Clint Shores.
The Patriots responded with five runs in the top of the fourth. DJ Tolliver led off with a walk and later scored on an infield error. Cody Markham later followed with an RBI single and Jenkins followed with a bases loaded walk. Two more runs scored on a Tolliver single in his second at bat of the inning and a fifth run scored on an error.
Pike Road increased the lead to 11-1 in the top of the sixth as Jake Revis cracked a two-run home run to deep left field.
St. James extended the game by scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Shores walked and Carter Carroll was hit by a pitch. They would score on a Patriot error followed by an infield groundout.
Jenkins, who had three hits, five RBIs and scored three runs, hit a home run in the top of the seventh for the Patriots' 12th tally. Saint James would match by scoring one in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single by Shores.
Trinity 16, David Crockett 1 (4)
ORANGE BEACH -- Trinity scored 16 runs with the benefit of only four hits to defeat David Crockett 16-1 in the first game of the Gulf Coast Classic II at Orange Beach on Monday afternoon.
Walker McClinton and Will Weeks each had a pair of hits, with Weeks driving in three runs and McClinton driving in two. Fleming Hall had a pair of RBIs as well.
Wesley Stallings picked up the win in a complete game performance, striking out three in four innings while holding Crockett to three hits.
The Wildcats jumped out front quickly, scoring six runs in the first inning and nine more in the second.
Prattville 6-2, Pell City 5-7
PELL CITY -- The Prattville Lions went on the road and split a Saturday doubleheader with the Pell City Panthers, winning the first game 6-5 and dropping the nightcap 7-2.
In game one, the Lions got out to a 2-0 lead as Grant Williams delivered a two out, two-run single to left field in the third to drive in Jack Studdard and Tanner Vance. In the fifth. Clayton Smith hit a one out triple to right field and Drew Jolley drove him in with an RBI single to left to put the Lions up 3-0. The Lions picked up another run on a Vance RBI double to right field to score Mason Piper for a 4-1 lead. Jolley followed with an RBI single to left to score Aiden Markwell and Williams delivered an RBI infield single to drive in Jolley to give the Lions a 6-1 lead.
Jolley (1-3) got the start and the win with a strong five-inning performance, allowing just one run on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts and a walk. Cade Floyd pitched a scoreless sixth and Piper entered the game in the seventh with two runners on and no outs. The Panthers cut the gap to 6-5, then Zack Ervie took the mound and held off the Panther threat with a great defensive play on a squeeze bunt as Smith put the tag on the tying runner at home for the second out. Ervie got the next Panther batter to fly out to end the game and earn the save.
Williams went 2 for 3 with a walk and three RBIs and Jolley went 2 for 3 with a walk and two RBIs.
Braeden Smith (0-1) started the second game and was replaced by Will Baskin in the bottom of the first with the Lions trailing 1-0. Baskin pitched 2.2 innings, allowing a run and a hit with two strikeouts and two walks. Nathan Lunsford started the bottom of the fourth trailing 5-2 and pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs and four hits with three walks. Markwell replaced Lunsford with two outs in the sixth and Grant Kiser recorded the final out on a fly ball to right field.
The Lions cut the gap to 5-2 in the fourth after singles by Ashton Cannon and Vance, then Clayton Smith drove in Cannon on an RBI single to right field. As Smith stole second, the throw sailed into center field and Vance scored.
Cannon went 2 for 2 and scored a run to lead Prattville’s offense in the second game.
SOFTBALL
Greenbriar 2, St. James 1
GULF SHORES -- St. James waged a defensive battle on Tuesday morning before falling to the Cats from just north of Augusta, Ga., on the second day of the Gulf Coast Classic II.
The two teams managed just seven hits between them, with Greenbriar getting just three off of Trojan ace Emily Needham. Needham struck out eight and walked three in seven innings.
KK Hall went 2 for 3 and scored a run and Needham went 2 for 3 to account for all of the Trojan hits off of the Lady Cats.
The Trojans (9-7-1) were scheduled to return to action later on Tuesday in the tournament.
Curry 8, St. James 1
GULF SHORES -- The Trojans allowed two runs in the first inning and two more in the second and never recovered as defending 4A state champion Curry won 8-1 in the Gulf Coast Classic II on Tuesday.
St. James managed just three hits, one each from KK Hall, Ava Stanford and Kaitlyn Hudson. Hall had the Trojans’ only RBI.
Stanford pitched the first 3.1 innings, allowing 12 hits and seven runs, five earned, to the Yellow Jackets while walking one and striking out one. Emerson Hagen pitched the final 1.2 innings, allowing one run on one hit while walking three.
Ambrey Taylor went 3 for 3 with two RBIs to lead the Yellow Jackets.
St. James (9-8-1) will continue play in the tournament on Wednesday.
St. James 16, Paragould (Ark.) 0 (4)
GULF SHORES -- The Trojans opened play in the Gulf Coast Classic II against an overmatched Paragould squad, scoring eight runs in the first inning to cruise to a 16-0 win on Monday.
Emily Needham pitched a one hitter and went 2 for 2 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. In the circle, she held the Rams to one hit while striking out nine and walking two in a complete game performance.
KK Hall went 2 for 2 with three runs scored and a pair of RBIs, Tat Shuford went 1 for 3 with a triple, a run scored and three RBIs and Emerson Hagen went 1 for 2 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs.
St. James 21, Selma 0 (3)
GULF SHORES -- Emerson Hagen and Peyton Middleton combined on a one hitter and KK Hall was a double away from the cycle as the Trojans poured it on the Saints, scoring 10 runs in the first inning, six in the second and five in the third in the Gulf Coast Classic II on Monday afternoon.
Kaitlyn Hudson went 2 for 3, scored four times and drove in a run and Sydney Johnston went 1 for 2, scored three times and drove in a run for the Trojans. Hall went 3 for 3 with a home run and a triple, scoring three runs and driving in six more.
Arden Green went 1 for 2, scoring twice and driving in a pair of runs, and Ava Stanford went 2 for 3, scoring a pair of runs and driving in three more.
Hagen allowed one hit while striking out six in the first and second innings. Middleton finished up the game by striking out two of the three batters she faced.
BOYS SOCCER
Catholic 2, Dale County 0
Henry Skala and Max Barranco scored goals to help Catholic to a 2-0 win over Dale County in an area match at Catholic on Tuesday night.
Skala scored his goal with an assist by John Russell Smith and Barranco added a goal on a penalty kick to add an insurance goal in the win.
Catholic (8-3) improved to 4-1 in 4A Area 2 play and remains in area play this week, traveling to Andalusia on Thursday and to Tuskegee to play Booker T. Washington on Friday.
Catholic 10, Booker T. Washington 0
Will Belsterling scored four goals and assisted on two others as the Knights defeated Booker T. Washington in an area match at Catholic on Monday night.
Max Barranco added two goals and Gabe Russo, Matt Russo, Todd Bonnell and Harrison Howell each added one.
Matt Russo had a pair of assists and John Russell Smith, Stott Blancas, Max Barranco and Henry Skala had one each.
Goalkeeper Harrison Howell preserved the shutout.
BOYS GOLF
Trinity places fifth in Bayside Invitational
FAIRHOPE -- The Trinity boys’ golf team finished fifth in the Bayside Invitational at the Rock Creek Golf Club.
Cullman won the 12-team tournament, followed by UMS-Wright, Daphne, Spanish Fort and Trinity. Houston Academy was sixth, followed by Ocean Springs (Miss.), Montgomery Academy, Baker, Bayside Academy, Fairhope and Bayshore Christian.
Trinity’s Dawson Criswell finished tied for 11th overall, shooting an 81 in the first round, followed by a 77. Blake Cornell was the low medalist, shooting a 71 and a 72 for a two-round total of 143.
The Wildcats have finished in the top five in both tournaments played this season.
GIRLS GOLF
Pike Road first, Trinity seventh in Spain Park Invitational
BIRMINGHAM -- The Trinity girls’ golf team played in the Spain Park Invitational at the Greystone Legacy course, finishing seventh in the 15-team field.
Pike Road finished first, followed by Spain Park, Auburn, Hewitt-Trussville, Spanish Fort, Mary Montgomery and Trinity.
Hoover was eighth, followed by Vestavia Hills, Enterprise, Oak Mountain, Mountain Brook, Providence Christian, White Plains and Southside-Gadsden.
Pike Road’s Yvette Gordon and Hartselle’s Jinger Heath were tied for low medalist honors. Trinity’s Virginia Anne Holmes finished fifth, making the all-tournament team.