Hartselle coach William Booth congratulates Aaron Lamb during senior night at Reuben Sims Field on Tuesday. Lamb hit a three-run home run in the second game against Cullman. | Richard Hollingsworth: http://nikonrick.smugmug.com/

A four-run first inning gave No. 6 Cullman control of a 6-4 area win over No. 5 Hartselle Tuesday afternoon.

Cullman clinched a playoff berth with the win while Hartselle must win Wednesday or have East Limestone lose to West Point again. If the Tigers lose and Indians win, they will play a tiebreaker game Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Cullman’s Jordan Guthrie struck out 11 Hartselle batters and allowed two earned runs on four hits and two walks to earn the win. Auburn signee Keegan Thompson then struck out his only three batters in the seventh inning to get the save.

Hartselle’s Jackson Smith, a South Carolina signee, struggled through the first two innings, allowing five runs on six hits and a walk. Levi Tapscott was able to calm the Cullman hitters down, allowing just a solo homer in over the last five innings.

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The Bearcats took advantage of a bases loaded situation, scoring four runs. However, only one of those runs scored on a base hit. A hit batsman with the bases loaded and two errors allowed the other runs to score.

In the bottom of the first inning, Brett Blackwood answered with a solo home run of his own.

A sacrifice fly ball and a solo home run allowed Cullman to add to its lead in the second and third innings, but that was the end of the Bearcats scoring.

However, Hartselle finally got things going in the sixth inning. Deacon Aldridge scored when Blackwood reached on an error.

Colton Ord then drove in two runs on a single.

However, that was all Hartselle could muster against the Bearcats’ pitching.

Hartselle 4, Cullman 1

Following the senior night ceremony, Brady Wallace racked up eight strikeouts to lead the Tigers over Cullman.

Senior Aaron Lamb led the way with a three-run home run. He also scored on a sacrifice by Zane Hamlett.