Hartselle baseball sweeps Decatur, finishes week with 4-1 record

The Hartselle Tigers baseball team improved to 21-9 after completing a 4-1 week with wins over Decatur and Sparkman. 

The Tigers swept the Red Raiders to improve to 6-0 in area play and clinch a spot in the 6A playoffs that begin later this month. 

Hartselle 16, Decatur 0 

The Tigers scored five runs in the first inning in defeating the Red Raiders.  

Elliott Bray and Blaze Gillespie each finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs to lead the Tigers. Eli Snelson, Brodie Morrow, Peyton Steele and Glavine Segars each had two hits. Both Snelson and Coleman Mizell scored three runs. Caleb Pittman picked up the win after allowing three hits while striking out nine. 

Hartselle 11, Decatur 1 

Steele homered twice and had six RBIs to lead the Tigers to a series-clinching win over Decatur in the first game of their Thursday doubleheader.  

Morrow and Segars also homered for Hartselle. Morrow finished with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Segars had two RBIs. Bray earned the win after allowing one run on two hits while striking out 12. 

Hartselle 9, Decatur 4 

Steele continued his hot streak with two hits, including a home run and an RBI, and two runs scored in the Tigers’ fifth consecutive win. Morrow added a hit and two RBIs.  

Auburn commitment William Turner picked up the win after allowing two runs on four hits while striking out 10. Colby Widner struck out five in relief of Turner. 

Hartselle 17, Sparkman 3 

In a battle of ranked teams, 6A No. 5 Hartselle dominated game one of a doubleheader to defeat 7A  No. 8 Sparkman.  

Eli Tidwell finished with a grand slam and four RBIs while scoring two runs to lead the Tigers. Gillespie, Snelson and JoJo Williamson each had two hits. Snelson scored four runs, while Gillespie scored three, and Williamson scored twice.  

JT Blackwood had three RBI, while Williamson, Bray and Segars each added two RBI. Blackwood allowed three runs on six hits while striking out 11 in picking up the win. 

Sparkman 8, Hartselle 7 

The Senators scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the doubleheader’s second game. Graham Ellis had two hits, two RBI and a run scored to lead the Tigers.  

Snelson had a hit and a run scored for Hartselle. William and Morrow each had an RBI.  

Tidwell took the loss after allowing one run in the bottom of the eighth. Colby Widner got the start and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out six.  

Snelson, pitching in relief of Widner, allowed four runs on five hits while striking out 10.