Calhoun County, AL – Oxford, Donoho sweep way to quarterfinals, eye familiar foes; Alexandria, Piedmont split Friday, face Game 3s on the road on Saturday
Updated:
SECOND ROUND SERIES
Best-of-3
Friday
Class 2A
Donoho (23-3) 6-4, Fayetteville (21-14) 5-2; Donoho sweeps series
Class 3A
Piedmont (24-8) 7-4, Decatur Heritage (18-13) 2-5; Game 3, Saturday, noon
Class 5A
Alexandria (30-6) 0-1,Arab (31-7) 1-0; Game 3, Saturday, 1 p.m.
Class 6A
Oxford (33-6) 10-9, Mountain Brook (22-12) 0-4; Oxford sweeps series
By Joe Medley
OXFORD — A hip injury kept Hayes Harrison from batting in Oxford’s second-round Class 6A playoff series with Mountain Brook on Friday, but he pitched.
Drew McCormick is known for his big arm on the mound but swung a big bat.
Harrison’s four-hit shutout and McCormick’s two home runs powered Oxford to a 10-0 victory in Game 1, and the Yellow Jackets finished the sweep 9-4 in Game 2 at Choccolocco Park.
The sweep earned top-ranked Oxford (33-6) a quarterfinal, best-of-3 series at No. 2 Hartselle (28-7), which swept Minor 10-0, 10-0 on Friday.
“It’s almost like a storybook tale,” Harrison said. “We played them my sophomore year in the playoffs, and it didn’t go our way. The first game of this year, we lost to them, but we’re going to prepare really hard this week and do everything we possibly can to bring it home next week.”
Friday’s sweep was Oxford’s second of these playoffs. The Yellow Jackets beat Center Point in two five-inning mercy-rule games last week, and Friday’s Game 1 was done in five.
Oxford has played 22 postseason innings and given up 11 hits and four runs.
Hayden Gallahar was one of four pitchers to work in Friday’s Game 2 but pitched five innings in relief, allowing five hits and no runs with five strikeouts and one walk for the win.
Harrison, the reigning Class 4A-6A All-Calhoun County player of the year, struck out nine batters in five innings.
He worked through a hip injury that he started to feel the day before Oxford’s first-round playoff series with Center Point. He said he felt a “tweak” while warming up for the first game of that series.
He pitched had a two-inning start then spent the last week rehabbing.
“We’re not sure yet what it is,” he said. “We don’t have a diagnosis yet. Had an X-ray today, and that came back clear.”
Harrison said his performance Friday was all about giving all of what the injury left him. Brooks used a designated hitter for Harrison’s No. 4 spot in the batting order.
“We’ve babied him all week, and he wasn’t feeling great yesterday,” Oxford coach Wes Brooks said. “I didn’t make my mind up until 4:05 today that he was going to be the starter in Game 1, and (four) hits and nine strikeouts. That’s awesome.
“He’s a warrior. You want every guy to say, ‘Coach, I don’t care if I’m 50 percent. I want the ball.’ He gets up and is like, ‘I’m not a hundred percent, but I’m good enough to help my team win.”
McCormick, who signed with Jacksonville State University as a pitcher, hit his first two home runs of the season … a three-run bomb over the 390-foot mark in center field and a two-run shot over the left-field fence.
“It was a special night for me, hitting two home runs back to back,” he said.
McCormick is Oxford’s first baseman when Harrison pitches, so he bats once every five games. If he hits well, he might bat the next game as a designated hitter.
“He has been hitting balls like that in batting practice all year long,” Brooks said. “He just hasn’t gotten in the rhythm of being in the lineup every day.”
Sam Robertson and Forrest Heacock had two hits apiece in Game 1, and Peyton Watts went 3-for-3 with a triple, three runs and an RBI in Game 2. Carter Johnson delivered a double and three RBIs in Game 2, and Heacock had a double and two RBIs.
Johnson also had a bloop single for the game-ending hit in Game 1.
Days are times for Oxford’s series at Hartselle are to be determined.
“It’s their call, so I guess they’ll probably go Thursday-Friday,” Brooks said. “The 6A state finals are on Tuesday (May) 16th, so you need to start bumping up. You don’t want to go Friday-Saturday, Friday-Saturday and turn around and neither one of our number ones (pitchers) can throw.”
Class 5A
ALEXANDRIA 0-1, ARAB 1-0: Top-ranked Alexandria (29-6) and No. 4 Arab mounted two combined runs in Friday’s Game 1 and Game 2. Game 3 is Saturday at 1 p.m.
Alexandria’s Andrew Allen pitched a complete game in Game 1, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Tripp Patterson pitched a four-hit shutout in Game 2 with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Samuel Henegar had the Valley Cubs’ lone RBI of the day, singling home Aaron Johnson in the third inning of Game 2. Johnson singled to reach base.
Class 5A
ALEXANDRIA 0-1, ARAB 1-0: Top-ranked Alexandria (29-6) and No. 4 Arab mounted two combined runs in Friday’s Game 1 and Game 2. Game 3 is Saturday at 1 p.m.
Alexandria’s Andrew Allen pitched a complete game in Game 1, allowing three hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
Tripp Patterson pitched a four-hit shutout in Game 2 with nine strikeouts and two walks.
Samuel Henegar had the Valley Cubs’ lone RBI of the day, singling home Aaron Johnson in the third inning of Game 2. Johnson singled to reach base.
Class 3A
PIEDMONT 7-4, DECATUR HERITAGE 2-5: Decatur Heritage staved off elimination with Bryant Sparkman’s leadoff solo home run in the top of the 10th inning of Game 2.
Piedmont rallied to score game-tying runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Kale Austin’s RBI double tied it 3-3 in the seventh. Trevor Pike lead off the eighth with a double and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
McClane Mohon had an RBI single in the fifth and scored on a wild pitch to bring Piedmont within 3-2.
In Game 1, Mohon and Max Hanson each had two-run singles, and Hanson plated another run with a sacrifice fly.
Brodie Homesley pitched a complete game, spreading out four hits with six strikeouts.
Class 2A
DONOHO 6-4, FAYETTEVILLE 5-2: Peyton Webb hit his 14th and 15th homers of the season and 20th and 21st of his career, extending his school records. He also set school record with his 51st RBI of the season.
Lucas Elliott became the first Falcon with three consecutive 40-hit seasons. Has reached base safely in 54 consecutive games, including every game of the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The day was full of drama.
The Falcons won in the bottom of the ninth in Game 1. Marcus Lawler reached on an error, and two more errors on same play moved him to third base with no outs. Nic Thompson grounded out, and Fayetteville intentionally walked Elliott and Webb to load the bases. Blake Sewell drew a bases-loaded walk on four pitches to end it.
In Game 2, umpires ruled Fayetteville base runners failed to tag up Webb’s sliding catch, setting the stage for a triple play in the sixth inning.
Fayetteville’s would-be, game-winning three-run home run in the seventh bounced off of the top of the fence, and the batter overran the runner tagging at first base and was ruled out. Nic Thompson struck out the next two batters to end it.
Donoho (23-3) will go on the road to play Lindsay Lane in the quarterfinals. The series will mark a rematch of last year’s 1A semifinals, which Lindsay Lane won. Donoho beat Lindsay Lane en route to the 2021 1A title series.
Friday’s second-round action is complete for area teams Alexandria, Donoho, Oxford and Piedmont, and all four are still alive; click link to see who swept, who faces a Game 3
Class 6A
MOUNTAIN BROOK AT OXFORD
Game 1:
–Oxford puts the ball in play, gets help from MB errors to lead 1-0 thru 1.
–Oxford coming to bat B3, still leads 1-0.
–Forrest Heacock 2-run double puts Oxford up 3-0 in B4. Oxford still batting.
–Drew McCormick crushes a 2-run home run to extend Oxford’s lead to 5-0 in B4. Oxford still batting.
–Nick Richardson RBI single puts Oxford up 6-0 thru 4.
–McCormick hits his second homer of the game, 3-run shot to LF, and Oxford leads 9-0 with no outs in B5.
–Carter Johnson bloop RBI single ends it. OXFORD WINS 10-0.
Game 2:
–Jackson Crow on the bump for Oxford.
–T1: Peyton Watts RBI triple puts Oxford up 1-0. Oxford still batting, no outs.
–T1: Carter Johnson sac fly puts Oxford up 2-0. Oxford still batting, one out.
–Forrest Heacock RBI double puts Oxford up 3-0 thru T1.
–B1: Mountain Brook gets two runs, has bases loaded with one out. Oxford coach Wes Brooks calls R.J. Brooks from the pen. Oxford leads 3-2.
–Brooks strikes out two batters to put out the fire. Oxford leads 3-2 thru 1.
–T2: Nick Richardson bunt single plates a run, and Oxford leads 4-2. Still batting with no outs, runners on corners.
–Carter Johnson’s two-run double puts Oxford up 6-2, and MB making a pitching change with no outs and runners on second and third.
–Trace Adams sac grounder plates a run, and Oxford leads 7-2. Runners on second and third with one out.
–Forrest Heacock sac fly gets another run home. Oxford leads 8-2 thru T2.
–B2: Oxford brings Hayden Gallahar from the pen. Still 8-2, Jackets.
–MB scores two. Oxford leads 8-4 thru 2.
–Oxford leads 8-4 thru 4. Gallahar has held’em scoreless with 4 Ks through three innings of work.
–Thru 5, Oxford leads 8-4. Gallahar now 5Ks through four innings.
–Oxford adds a run on a passed ball, leads 9-4 headed into B7.
–OXFORD WINS 9-4 for sweep, will play the Hartselle-Minor winner on the road in the third round.
Class 5A
ALEXANDRIA AT ARAB
Game 1:
–0-0 in B2.
–Still scoreless in T3 after Andrew Allen works out of a bases-loaded jam with two outs.
–Thru 3, still scoreless.
–B4 … Arab gets one the board, leads 1-0 thru 4.
–Final: ARAB WINS 1-0 on one unearned run.
–Alexandria outhit Arab 4-3. Allen pitched a gem with five Ks and two walks. Aiden Brunner 2-for-3.
Game 2:
–Tripp Patterson on the bump for Alexandria.
–Thru 1, scoreless. Alexandria leaves bases loaded in B1.
–Thru 2, still scoreless.
–B3: Alexandria scores a run on a Samuel Henegar liner plus an error, leads 1-0.
–Alexandria leads 1-0 thru 4.
–Still 1-0 thru 5.
–Patterson strands three Arab runners. Alexandria still leads 1-0 thru 6.
–ALEXANDRIA WINS 1-0. Game 3 on Saturday at 1 p.m.
Class 3A
PIEDMONT AT DECATUR HERITAGE
Game 1:
–B5, Piedmont leads 1-0. Brodie Homesley pitching.
–Cole Wilson doubles, scores on errant throwback from catcher. Piedmont leads 2-0, still batting in T6.
–McLane Mohon 2-run single puts Piedmont up 4-0, still batting in T6.
–Max Hanson sac fly … 5-0, Piedmont, thru T6.
–DH gets two on the board. Piedmont leads 5-2 thru 6.
–T7, Max Hanson hits 2-run single. Piedmont leads 7-2, still batting.
–Final: PIEDMONT WINS 7-2.
Game 2:
–Seventh-grader Cole Austin on the bump for Piedmont.
–Scoreless thru 2.
–T3: DH gets three two-out runs on error, hit batsman, intentional walk, balk and error, leads 3-0.
–Still 3-0, DH, thru 4.
–Piedmont scores twice in B5. Mohon RBI single, and Mohon scores on a wild pitch. Bulldogs trail 3-2 thru 5.
–Thru 6, still 3-2, DH. Sloan Smith to the bump in relief.
–Smith sits’em down in order. Piedmont coming to bat in B7, down 3-2.
–B7: Hanson draws one-out walk; Jack Hayes infield single; Kale Austin RBI double ties it 3-3; intentional walk loads bases; game headed to extra innings.
–T8: Double error on leadoff then sac fly, and DH regains the lead, 4-3.
–B8: Trevor Pike leadoff double; two-out wild pitch ties it 4-4, headed to ninth inning.
–Smith sits DH down in order in T9. Still 4-4.
–Aaaaannnnndd to the 10th inning, still 4-4.
–Decatur Heritage gets a leadoff home run in the 10th and wins 5-4. Game 3 Saturday at noon.
Class 2A
FAYETTEVILLE AT DONOHO
Game 1:
–Fayetteville gets 2 in T1, leads 2-0.
–Fayetteville adds a run in T2, leads 3-0. Error bug is biting Donoho.
–B2, Hayes Farrell homer gets Donoho off the mat. Falcons trail 3-1. (Farrell’s first career homer)
–Donoho comes alive … Elliott RBI single and Webb 3-run homer, and Falcons lead 5-3 thru 3.
–Fayetteville scores two to tie it 5-5 in T5. Donoho escapes bases-loaded jam with a double play.
–Still 5-5 thru 6. Fayetteville’s 2, 3 and 4 hitters coming up; 1, 2 and 3 for Donoho in B7.
–Donoho coming to bat in B8, still 5-5.
–B9: Marcus Lawler reaches on an error, and two more errors on same play move him to third with no outs. Nic Thompson grounds out. Fayetteville intentionally walks Elliott and Webb to load the bases. Blake Sewell draws bases-loaded walk on four pitches to end it. DONOHO WINS 6-5.
Game 2:
–Peyton Webb on the bump for Donoho.
–Lawler scored on a wild pitch. Donoho leads 1-0 thru 1. Falcons batting in T2.
–Still 1-0, Donoho, in B4.
–Donoho up 4-2 thru 5.
–B6: Nic Thompson induces a fly ball for the first out, and runners leave base early, touching off an inning-ending triple play. Donoho still leads 4-2.
–B7: Would-be game-winning three-run home run bounces off the fence, just below the top.
–DONOHO WINS 4-2 to complete sweep in game that saw two Fayetteville coaches ejected. Falcons will play Lindsay Lane-North Sand Mountain winner on the road in third-round series.
–Webb hits 14th and 15th homers of the season, 20th and 21st of his career. Also set school record with 51st RBI of the season.
–Lucas Elliott becomes first Falcon with three consecutive 40-hit seasons. Has reached base safely in 54 consecutive games, including every game of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. [read more sports stories…]
