Calhoun County, AL – Donoho overtakes Pleasant Valley in eighth inning, with playoff berth go be determined on Saturday. With playoff berth on the line, White Plains splits with Cleburne County. Oxford sweeps Gadsden City. Alexandria shuts out Southside. Lincoln tops Jacksonville. Weaver sweeps Saks.
Back-to-back RBI singles by Marcus Lawler and Kai Cleckler regained the lead for Donoho in the top of the eighth inning, and the Falcons won the opener of their crucial Class 2A, Area 13 series against Pleasant Valley 6-4 on Friday.
The two teams play Saturday at Donoho with a playoff berth on the line for the series winner. First pitch at 11 a.m.
Both teams lost series to area champion Collinsville, leaving the Donoho-Pleasant Valley series to determine the area runner up.
After Donoho scored twice to retake the lead, Lawler worked out of a jam in the bottom of the eighth inning. Peyton Mann walked and Logan Williams singled to start the Raiders’ at bat, but Lawler retired the next three batters on two pop outs and a strikeout.
Pleasant Valley forced extra innings thanks to Will Underwood’s two-out, bases-loaded double in the bottom of the seventh. Cooper Dougal, John Garrett Bryant and Holt Bentley scored.
Sewell started for Donoho, working six innings and striking out nine batters. He allowed three hits and two earned runs.
Peyton Webb went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. His two-run home run highlighted Donoho’s three-run first inning.
Sewell went 2-for-5 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI.
WHITE PLAINS 5-13, CLEBURNE COUNTY 10-5: White Plains (10-17) and Cleburne County (14-5) split Friday’s first two games of a Class 4A, Area 9 series to determine which team makes the playoffs.
The winner-take-all Game 3 is Saturday at 10 a.m. at Heflin.
White Plains won Friday’s opener 13-5, and Cleburne County won the second game 10-5.
White Plains’ Dalton Luker went 2-for-3 with a run and three RBIs in the first game. Paul Laube was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs, and Cooper Tinney had a double and two RBIs. Flynn Tillison had a single and two RBIs.
Coleman Ray got the win, allowing five hits and four earned runs with one strikeout in five innings.
Cleburne County’s Kannon Robertson was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI, and Hunter Gore drove in two runs.
In the second game, Cleburne County’s Jayson Deese went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Gore was 2-for-3 with a run and two RBIs, and Robertson had a single and two RBIs.
Jake Littleton was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI.
Deese pitched a complete game, allowing six hits and three earned runs with eight strikeouts.
Tillison had a double and RBI for White Plains, and Braxxon Borrelli went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ashton Wallace added a single and RBI.
OXFORD 7-9, GADSDEN CITY 2-2: Reid Maniscalco continued his hot hitting against Gadsden City, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs in Friday’s second game, and Oxford (24-8) swept Gadsden City to complete its sweep of Class 6A, Area 13 counters for the season.
Oxford won Friday’s first game 7-2 and the second game 9-2. The Yellow Jackets won Thursday’s series opener 10-3, and Maniscalco hit his first varsity home run Thursday.
Friday’s first game also saw Forrest Heacock go 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Judd Syer had a double and an RBI, and Rocco Maniscalco hit a single and drove in a run.
Colton Parten got the win, striking out eight batters and allowing two hits in five innings.
Nick Richardson had a double and two RBIs in Friday’s second game. Jay Lambert doubled with an RBI, and Rocco Maniscalco with 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
Tide Gann had a single and RBI and got the win, allowing no runs with three strikeouts in four innings of work.
ALEXANDRIA 9, SOUTHSIDE 0: Andrew Allen struck out 13 batters and allowed four hits in six innings, and Alexandria moved closer to clinching the Class 5A, Area 12 title.
The two teams play at noon Saturday at Alexandria (19-8). A win clinches the area title for the Valley Cubs.
Alexandria’s Eli Barnes had a double and three RBIs on Friday, and the Valley Cubs got a single and RBI apiece from Aiden Brunner, Ian Cartwright, Evan Snow and Zach Baskins.
Samuel Henegar went 1-for-3 with a double and two runs and worked one inning of relief, allowing two hits but striking out two batters.
LINCOLN 6, JACKSONVILLE 3: Lincoln’s Carson Perez had a single and two RBIs as the Golden Bears halted Jacksonville’s eight-game winning streak with a victory in a non-area game.
Bradley Newell went 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, and Christian Bean went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cole East had a double and scored two runs.
Perez got the win, striking out eight batters and allowing four hits and one earned run in six innings.
Jacksonville’s Xaye Lemon was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI.
Jacksonville (17-12) has clinched its area title and awaits a playoff opponent to be determined.
WEAVER 11-13, SAKS 1-2: In Class 3A, Area 10 play, Weaver swept winless Saks to improve to 5-11, winning 11-1 and 13-2.
Tracen Jones went 4-for-4 with a double, three runs and three RBIs in the first game, and Connor Hyatt was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and three RBIs.
Tucker Michaels was 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Easton Capps struck out nine batters and allowed five hits and one earned run in five innings.
Landon Free led the Bearcat offense in the second game, going 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and four RBIs. D Welch had a triple and two RBIs, and Michaels had a single and two RBIs.
Michaels struck out seven batters while allowing three hit and two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, and Jaden Thomas struck out two of the three batters he faced in relief.
