Oxford, AL – Oxford returns to old home field to sweep semifinal series with Cullman, earn chance to open 6A title series on its current-day home field
By Joe Medley
Oxford’s baseball team just made another run to the state finals, and the Yellow Jackets got to visit an old Bud along the way.
Top-ranked Oxford swept Cullman 11-0 and 5-3 In Thursday’s weather-delayed Class 6A semifinal series at Bud McCarty Field.
Oxford (37-6) advanced to the state finals for the fifth time in school history and first since beating Fairhope to win the 2012 Class 6A title. The Yellow Jackets will play No. 6 Spanish Fort in Tuesday’s 4 p.m. Game 1 on Choccolocco Park’s signature field, their home field.
Spanish Fort won Game 3 against No. 5 Stanhope-Elmore 9-6 on Thursday.
Oxford swept its way to the title series, winning eight games without a Game 3. The 2012 team lost Game 1 to Spain Park in the semifinals and Game 2 to Fairhope in the finals.
The Yellow Jackets have also won four mercy-rule games in these playoffs, sweeping Center Point in 10 innings and recording five-inning wins against Mountain Brook in the second round and Cullman in the semifinals.
If Oxford wins the state title, it will tie the 2012 team’s school record with 39 wins.
“I just feel like we’re having a blast,” said Hayes Harrison, who pitched a one-hitter with nine strikeouts in Game 1 and went 3-for-6 with a double and RBI on the night. “All of this, we’re just having fun. We’re not putting too much pressure on ourselves, and we’re going out there and playing our game.”
As for Bud McCarty Field, it was Oxford’s home field in 2012. The Yellow Jackets moved to Choccolocco Park in 2016 but had to play a series at The Bud because of a conflict with the Alabama Community College Conference tourney, which started Wednesday and runs through Monday.
Harrison, who was 7 when the Yellow Jackets made their 2012 run, recalled watching playoff games at The Bud.
“I remember coming and watching and seeing one of the Simpson brothers (Tucker and Trent) hit a home run, like, late in the game to win it,” he said. “I just have never forgotten that since I was a kid, so I guess it is pretty big to be able to play where we’re at.
“Before the season, we don’t really expect to play here. Since the tournament is going on at Chocclocco, we got this opportunity.”
Fans from Oxford and Cullman filled both elevated sets of bleachers. Fan groups set up on flat truck beds behind the home-run fence, and an Oxford’s Fire Department ladder truck draped a massive American flag over the scoreboard.
The good memory generated at The Bud on Thursday supplanted bad memories of the last time Oxford played a playoff game there. The Gulf South Conference tournament forced Game 3 against Hartselle to move to Oxford’s campus in 2021, and Oxford lost 7-0.
“Two years ago, I was a little upset about playing two out there (at Choccolocco Park) and then coming back here and playing a Game 3 against Hartselle, but I don’t know,” Oxford coach Wes Brooks said. “There’s two or three times I’ve sat in that third-base dugout. I look out there, I hear the noise, I see the student section, I see it all, and I’m just like, this is it.”
Victory at The Bud on Thursday means the Yellow Jackets will play another game at their new home stadium, at Choccolocco Park, before the title series moves to Jacksonville State University’s Jim Case Stadium for Game 2 and the “if-necessary” Game 3.
“That’s awesome,” junior Carter Johnson said. “We can pack it out and just keep doing what we’re doing.”
Johnson did plenty Thursday, going 4-for-6 at the plate with two RBIs on the day and pitching two scoreless innings of relief for the save in Game 2. He came on in the sixth inning, after Cullman closed to within 5-3 on Zane Watwood’s solo home run in the fifth inning, and shut the door.
“Obviously, Game 1, Hayes Harrison has money all year,” Brooks said. “It was huge for him to only throw (66) pitches. If you get a chance to win a game in five innings, you’re going to try to do it so you don’t have to use another pitcher.
“The difference there in the second game, I thought we hammered and got one on their number-one pitcher, (Tucker) Cagle. He’s a lefty, he’s been undefeated in the playoffs, and it’s Game 2, and our left-handed hitters kind of went right at him.”
OXFORD VS. CULLMAN HIGHLIGHTS
Game 1
–B2: Forrest Heacock draws a bases-loaded walk, and Oxford leads 1-0. … Drew McCormick’s fielder’s choice scores another run, 2-0. … Nick Richardson’s two-run single makes it 4-0. … Peyton Watts’ RBI single makes it 5-0. … Carter Johnson RBI single makes it 6-0.
–B3: Tide Gann hits a two-run double, makes it 8-0, Oxford. …. Trace Adams hit by pitch with bases loaded, 9-0. … Heacock with a sac fly to score another run, 10-0. … McCormick singles home a run, 11-0.
FINAL: Oxford wins Game 1 11-0. Game 2 to follow
Game 2
–T1: Carter Johnson’s RBI double puts Oxford up 1-0.
–B1: Cullman gets runners on the corners with one out and bases loaded with two outs, but Peyton Watts strikes out Zane Whatwood to get out of it. Still 1-0.
–B2: Watts works out of another bases-loaded jam, this time with one out. He induces a pop to Tide Gann in left field and grounder to Carter Johnson at second base.
–T3: Heacock with an RBI single, puts Oxford up 2-0. … Harrison grounder plates another run, 3-0.
–T4: Sam Robertson with an RBI single, and Oxford leads 4-0.
–B4: Cullman pushes two across. Oxford leads 4-2, makes a pitching change … R.J. Brooks for Watts.
–B5: Watwood with a solo home run. Oxford leads 4-3.
–T6: Robertson sac fly scores an Oxford run, and Jackets lead 5-3.
–B6: Carter Johnson in to pitch for Oxford. … Cullman gets a runner, no runs.
FINAL: Oxford wins Game 2 5-3, will play Spanish Fort in 6A title series. [read more sports stories…]
