THURSDAY PREPS: ACA baseball tops LAMP; Prattville gets sweep in tourney

STAFF REPORT

BASEBALL

Alabama Christian Academy 13, LAMP 2 (5)

Isaac Warrick went 2 for 3 with a triple and drove in four runs to get Alabama Christian Academy off to a quick start, then pitched 1.1 innings of no-hit ball against the Golden Tigers as ACA defeated LAMP 13-2 in a 4A Area 3 game at Paterson Field on Thursday.

The two teams now move to the AUM Baseball Complex for a Friday doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. A win by ACA (11-8 overall, 1-0 in area play) would all but eliminate LAMP (10-9, 0-3) from playoff consideration. The second game of the doubleheader doesn’t count in the area standings and is used as a tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied in the area standings.

Preston Hicks went 2 for 3 and drove in a pair of runs, Hunter Barfoot went 1 for 3 with a double and three RBIs and Hayes Hunt went 1 for 4 and scored three times to give the Eagles a commanding lead early.

Warrick struck out three and Barfoot pitched the remaining 3.2 innings, allowing six hits but no earned runs as the Eagles cruised to a run-rule victory in five innings. 

Trinity 11, Montgomery Academy 1 (6)

Mac McClinton went 4 for 5 and drove in three runs and Coleman Stanley pitched a two-hitter as the Wildcats rolled to an 11-1 win over the Eagles in the area opener for both teams at Bowen Field on Thursday.

The scene now shifts to Trinity’s Whittle-Armstrong Field where Trinity (15-3 overall, 1-0 in 3A Area 6 play) and Montgomery Academy (6-6, 0-1) play a doubleheader starting at noon. The first game will count in the area standings while the second game will serve as a tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied in the area standings.

Stanley was dominating on Thursday, allowing just a pair of hits while walking two and striking out five in a complete-game performance as the game was halted by the 10-run mercy rule.

Simmons Byrd went 2 for 3 with a pair of walks and scored twice and Grayson Ashe, David Michael Lieux and Christopher Bryan all went 1 for 3 with two RBIs. 

Prattville 9, Spain Park 1

HOOVER -- Slade Wood gave a dominating performance in six innings of work, allowing just four hits and a run while striking out six as the Lions defeated Spain Park 9-1 in their third game in the Hoover Walk-On’s Buccaneer Classic at the Hoover Met on Thursday. 

The Lions (19-3) opened play in the tournament on Wednesday with a win over Vestavia Hills, followed up with wins over Helena and Spain Park on Thursday and will face Houston (Tenn.) on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

The Lions’ bats stayed hot, with 12 hits against the Jags’ pitchers. Drew Brown went 2 for 3 with a triple, scoring twice and driving in a run, Braxton Piper went 2 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI and EJ Ousley was 2 for 4 with a triple and two RBIs. Drew Jolley went 2 for 3 with a triple and two runs scored and Travis Stauter, Chandler Gibbs and Campbell Seamon also drove in runs. 

Prattville 8, Helena 6

HOOVER -- Drew Brown went 3 for 4 with a double and a pair of triples, scoring four runs and driving in another as the Lions scored five runs in the first two innings and held off the Huskies 8-6 in the Hoover Walk-On’s Buccaneer Classic on Thursday. 

Prattville (18-3) returned to the field later in the day to play Spain Park and will resume play in the tournament on Friday against Houston (Tenn.) at 1:30 p.m.

Brown scored half of the Lions’ runs, but that was because the batters behind him in the lineup were having a productive day. Senior Braxton Piper went 2 for 4 with a pair of triples and drove in a run, senior Travis Stauter drove in three runs and senior Ryley DuBose drove in two as well. 

Grant Williams (3-0) started and got the win, pitching 3.2 innings while allowing four hits and three runs while walking one and striking out four. Senior Landen Rigdon pitched the final 2.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits while striking out three to pick up the save.

SOFTBALL

Prattville Christian 7, Pike Road 1

PRATTVILLE -- Lara Beth Nesmith struck out seven batters in five innings of work and Alivia Messick pitched the final two innings as the Panthers rolled to a 7-1 win over Pike Road on Thursday.

Chloe Hollon went 3 for 3 with three RBIs, including a double and a two-run home run, to lead the PCA offense. Sarah Williams was 2 for 2 and Katie Williams was 2 for 2 with an RBI.

Prattville Christian (9-5) now travels to Pike Road for a tournament this weekend and will play Charles Henderson in the opening round on Friday. 

Prattville 5, Chilton County 3

CLANTON -- Pyper Castro went 2 for 3 with a double and drove in three runs to help the Lions defeat Chilton County 5-3 on Thursday. 

Jessica Cord picked up the win in the circle, allowing five hits and three runs while striking out eight in a complete-game performance.

In addition to Castro, Kylie Jarman went 2 for 4 with a double and two runs scored, Kaylee Robles went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored, Cord went 1 for 2 with a double and an RBI and Kaytie Chandler went 1 for 3 with an RBI.

Prattville (11-10) returns to action on Monday at home against Catholic.

BOYS SOCCER

Trinity 2, Providence Christian 1

Jackson Champion and Norris Pemberton both scored goals to help the Wildcats remain undefeated in region play with a 2-1 win over Providence Christian on Thursday.  

Champion and Lawson Roth provided the assists for the two goals as Trinity (9-2) improved to 4-0 in region play. 

GIRLS TENNIS

Montgomery Academy 6, LAMP 3

“Senior Recognition Day” at McLemore Tennis Center meant starting Montgomery Academy freshman Gabby Barrera at No. 1 singles and filling out the rest of the singles lineup with seniors to help the Eagles defeat LAMP 6-3 on Thursday. 

The Eagles got off to a solid start as Mae Mae Voltz and Jenna Chandler won 8-0 at No. 1 doubles, Barrera and Clara Ryan won 8-0 at No. 2 doubles and Cate Peeples and MaryLee Kelso won 8-1 at No. 3 doubles. Barrera’s 8-0 win over Kathleen Doyle at No. 1 singles gave MA four of the five points necessary for a win as seniors Ryan, Kelso, Emily Rose Benefield, Mattie Freeman and Peeples took over against the talented Golden Tigers.

Kelso defeated Lillian Tears 8-0 at No. 3 singles and Peeples beat Cheyeon Yun 8-1 at No. 6 singles to secure the victory for Montgomery Academy (10-2).

LAMP picked up the remaining three singles matches, with Reena Chen edging Ryan 9-7 at No. 2, Dabeen Choi beating Benefield 8-3 at No. 4 and Kangyou Park defeating Freeman 8-6 at No. 5.