Hartselle goes 3-1 at Perfect Game High School Showcase
The Hartselle Tigers baseball team had a successful weekend at the Perfect Game Showcase in Hoover.
After opening against three 7A Top 10 teams and then facing the defending 6A State Champs in Georgia, the competition only continued to mount. The Tigers opened against North Broward Prep, the defending 4A state champs in Florida, before facing Max Preps’ No. 2 IMG Academy. They finished the showcase with games against East Forsyth, the No. 11-ranked club in North Carolina, and Northridge, the No. 9 team in Alabama.
Hartselle 7, North Broward Prep 6
The Tigers, who trailed 3-0, scored two runs in the third to cut the lead to 3-2. Cade Miles and Eli Tidwell scored the runs.
Then, they took a 5-3 lead when Tidwell tripled and plated Elliott Bray and Miles. Tidwell scored on a JoJo Williamson groundout for the third run.
North Broward scored three in the bottom of the sixth to take a 6-5 lead, but Greyson Howard and Bray scored runs in the seventh to give Hartselle the victory.
Bray started the game and pitched five innings. He left with the lead after giving up four hits and three runs while striking out four.
Tidwell pitched the sixth inning and picked up the win. He gave up three hits and three runs. William Turner pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
IMG Academy 9, Hartselle 3
The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, following a Peyton Steele single that scored Tidwell and Williamson.
Steele scored in the top of the third after an error by an IMG outfielder on a Coleman Mizell flyball.
IMG added a run in the bottom of the third to get on the board and cut the lead to 3-1. They added four runs in the fifth and the sixth to come from behind and take the 9-3 win.
Caleb Pittman started the game and took the loss after pitching 4.2 innings, giving up two hits and five runs while striking out five. Tidwell pitched 1.1 innings in relief and gave up seven hits and four runs.
Hartselle 3, East Forsyth 2
The Tigers found themselves playing from behind after giving up a run in the top of the first. Walker Hoyle tied the game following an error by the East Forsyth pitcher in the third inning.
The Eagles took the lead with a run in the top of the sixth, but Hartselle’s Miles tripled in the bottom of the sixth to bring home Bray and tie the game at 2-2.
With two outs and Steele at second, Greyson Howard singled and drove home Steele with the walk-off game-winning run.
Brant Stringer got the start and pitched five innings, giving up four hits and two runs while striking out four.
Jack Smith entered in relief and pitched two scoreless innings to pick up the win. He held the Eagles hitless while striking out three.
Hartselle 13, Northridge 4
The Tigers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first after getting runs from Williamson, Steele and Mizell.
The Jaguars tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the inning.
Mizell added his second run when he scored on a Tidwell groundout in the top of the second, and Williamson scored on a Howard sac fly in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 5-2.
Hartselle broke the game wide open with five runs in the top of the sixth to take a 10-2 lead.
After Northridge added two in the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers answered with three in the top of the seventh to make the final score 13-4.
Turner started and pitched five innings to get the win. He gave up four hits and two runs while striking out five.
Isaac Nicholson pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and two runs.
