Hartselle sweeps weekend action
Jacob Garrison pitches against Hazel Green Saturday afternoon. He was one of four pitchers to throw scoreless innings against Hazel Green. | Randy Garrison
Hartselle’s baseball team swept a doubleheader with Hazel Green and Hillcrest in dramatic fashion last Saturday.
The Tigers scored four runs in their final at bat in both games to win each by one run.
In the first game, Hartselle defeated Hazel Green 5-4.
The only offense through the first six innings came when Dax Gillespie hit an RBI single to score Colton Ord in the third inning.
However, Hazel green took advantage of two errors, a walk and a hit batsman to score four runs in the top of the seventh inning, taking a 4-1 lead. Only one of the runs was earned.
However, the Tigers rallied in the bottom half of the inning. Ord, Zach Letson, Gillespie and Drew Cowan put together four consecutive singles to start the inning. That caused the Hazel Green coach to bench starter Grant Benneth, who racked up 11 strikeouts in just over six innings.
However, the pitching change didn’t make a difference because Will Swann hit an RBI single with one out to give Hartselle the win.
Gillespie led the team in hitting going 3-for-4 while Swann was 2-for-4. Todd Gibson was the only batter to get an extra base hit with a double. Ord scored twice while Letson, Gillespie and Cowan all scored once.
Aaron Wooley earned the win in one inning of work. He did allow three runs, but none were earned. He also allowed just one hit and had two strikeouts in just seven batters faced. Pitchers Deacon Aldridge, Ethan Howell, Jacob Garrison and Hunter McCaghren all allowed just one hit each but didn’t allow a run.
In the second game, Hartselle used four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take the lead and then held on in the top of the seventh to win 10-9.
With the bases loaded in the first inning, Dax Gillespie hit a sacrifice ground ball to score Zach Letson. Kaleb Jones then doubled to score Deacon Aldridge. Todd Gibson cleaned up the bases with his double, which scored Drew Cowan and Jones’ pinch runner, Ryan Brown.
Hillcrest responded with a two-run homer from Breaden Williams in the second inning. Hartselle played small ball to answer. Cowan hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score Letson.
The Patriots then took advantage of two errors to score another run in the fourth inning. Hillcrest loaded the bases in the fifth inning, scoring just two runs to tie the game at 5.
Gillespie gave the Tigers the lead again with a sacrifice ground ball that scored Cowan, who doubled to start the inning.
Hillcrest took at 7-6 lead on a Jacob Vickerson two-run home run in the top of the sixth inning.
But Hartselle responded in the bottom half of the frame. With the bases loaded, Aldridge hit a single to score Swann and tie the game.
Cowan put the Tigers up for good on a two-run single. Spangler’s RBI single provided much needed insurance, as Hartselle now led 10-7.
Hillcrest had its chance in the seventh inning as two walks and another hit batsman loaded the bases, but all the Patriots could muster was a two-run single.
Paul Johnson earned the win in 1 2/3 innings. His only hit allowed was the two-run home run, but he finished with two strikeouts. Ryland Blankenship went two innings allowed no earned runs on two hits with no walks.
Cowan led the way with 2-for-3 hitting with three RBIs. Jones also went 2-for-2 with a double and a RBI. Letson scored all three times he got on base.
