Hartselle Tiger player Will Foote makes contact with the ball during a recent home game against Athens. The Tigers defeated the Golden Eagles. | Tom Chappell

Hartselle wins 4 of 5 games in prep for Cullman

Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

As March ended and April began, the Hartselle Tigers were riding a huge wave of momentum. The Tigers finished with a 21-7 record in the month of March and were Hoover tournament champions. They were hoping to could continue the hot streak into April as they welcomed a couple of schools from Tennessee as well as the Athens Golden Eagles. They were also hoping to not get caught off guard looking ahead to the huge matchup with area rival Cullman Bearcats.

In the first game, the Tigers took on Athens with Jake Rice getting the start on the mound. Hartselle would take the lead early at 2-0 when Zeth Malcolm singled to drive in Collin Blackwood and Brady Netherton scored on a passed ball.

The Tigers tacked on 2 more runs in the bottom of the third. Taylor Easterling would double to centerfield to drive in Netherton and then Austin Parker would single to left field to drive in Easterling and give Hartselle a 4-0 lead. Rice pitched a shutout for the Tigers with 17 first pitch strikes and 12 strikeouts,  allowing 4 hits. Hartselle would take the game 4-0.

The next day the Tigers would face Bartlett from Tennessee in a doubleheader. A single from Blackwood would drive in Will Foote and give Hartselle their first points. A single from Bradford would drive in Riley Wood and give Hartselle a 2-0 lead. Connor Burks would add another score when he doubled to drive in Trace Carpenter and make the lead 3-0. The Tigers looked to have the game well in hand going into the sixth inning. However, Bartlett would begin to mount a rally by scoring 2 runs to cut the lead to 3-2. Hartselle added another score in the bottom of the sixth when Parker scored on a passed ball and would go on to win 4-2. Ben Kimbrough got the win with 17 first pitch strikes and 4 strikeouts.

Hartselle would get the best of Bartlett again in the second game. Parker would single to drive in Carpenter and Kyle Eddy would score on a sacrifice fly by Netherton as Hartselle took the win 2-1. Netherton took the win with 16 first pitch strikes and 10 strikeouts.

The Tigers would face another team from Tennessee on the last day when they took on Houston. Houston would get the first lead 1-0. Hartselle would retake the lead in the bottom of the third. A single from Hayden Bradford would drive in Blackwood to tie the game 1-1. James Edde would then score on a bases-loaded ground out to give Hartselle the lead 2-1. The Tigers would add to the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Blackwood would single to drive in Burks. Wood and Garrett Wade would score on an error to give Hartselle a 5-1 lead. They would improve the lead to 7-1 when Wade scored thanks to a single from Foote and then Foote scored on an error. Hartselle would win the game 7-2 with Easterling getting the win on the mound with 15 first pitch strikes and 7 strikeouts.

Hartselle would fall in the last game as Houston got the better of the Tigers 12-1.