Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

The anticipation was boiling over in Cullman when the Hartselle Tigers came to town for their area series. The Tigers had a firm hold on Area 15 thanks to an area sweep of Decatur earlier in the season. Meanwhile, Cullman was behind the eight ball coming in after losing their area series to Decatur. The Bearcats needed to sweep the Tigers in order to not just win the area championship but avoid being left out of the playoffs for the first time in 16 years.

Hartselle took control of the game earlier. Zeth Malcolm would hit a single to drive in Hayden Bradford and take the lead 1-0.

Malcolm would back that up in the third inning by doubling to drive in Bradford and Collin Blackwood and make the score 3-0. Jack Hundley would add another run when he scored on an error as Hartselle now held the lead 4-0.

Meanwhile, Ben Kimbrough was pitching a tough game on the mound as he had yet to allow a hit through the first two innings.

Cullman would turn things around in the bottom of the third inning. A single by the Bearcats would drive in 2 runs and cut the score to 4-2.

Hartselle would pull out all of the strings by sending in their ace pitcher Brady Netherton to relieve Kimbrough in the fourth.

However, the fourth inning would be when Cullman took complete control, of the game.

After cutting the score to 4-3, All-american Owen Lovell blasted a 3 run homerun to give the Bearcats a 6-4 lead. The Bearcats would tack on to that lead in the sixth by hitting a single to make the score 7-4.

Hartselle would attempt to make a comeback in the last inning. Will Foote would reach base to start the inning on an error. However, a ground out would turn into a double play and give the Tigers 2 outs. Blackwood would single to left field, but a pop fly would end the game as Hartselle fell 7-4 to Cullman in the first game.

Malcolm led the Tigers in hits and RBIs with 2 and 3 respectively. Netherton led with 4 strikeouts.

In the second game, the Bearcats would explode in the first inning scoring 6 runs to take a 6-0 lead. Blake Lowe came in and pitched a strong game as the Bearcats managed only 2 hits off him. However, the damage had already been done as Hartselle fell in the second game 8-0. Lowe finished with 5 strikeouts.