Houston Academy Sweeps 2A Baseball Title Series
Madison Academy Sweeps Sipsey Valley In 3A Championships
Kirk Maddox fired a complete game three-hitter and struck out nine to pick up the win in game one of the AHSAA Class 2A Baseball Championship Series Thursday morning at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium and the Raiders followed with a marathon 16-11 win in game two to sweep the series and capture the school’s first state baseball title since 1993.
Madison Academy (34-13) swept Sipsey Valley with two straight 3-2 wins Thursday to capture the Mustangs’ second Class 3A state baseball championship. Coach Mike Good’s team also won the 3A title in 2009.
Senior left fielder Bo McLaughlin was the catalyst in both games. The lead-off hitter was 3-for-4 in each contest and finished the series 6-for-8 to earn MVP honors in the series played at Montgomery’s Riverwalk Stadium.
Class 2A Game 2: Houston Academy 16, Section 11
In a game that took three hours and 14 minutes to complete, Maddox collected three hits and drove in two runs to pace Houston Academy’s 17-hit attack. He finished the day with five hits to go with his pitching gem and earned Class 2A Championship Series MVP.
Houston Academy (33-5), coached by Tony Kirkland, scored 13 runs in the first two innings but Section (31-13) answered with seven runs of its own. The Raiders got three more in the sixth inning and the Lions answered again with four more before Jacob Beachamp came in to shut down the rally pitching the final 1 2/3 innings.
Brett Gilmore (6-2) relieved starter Alec Reeves in the second inning and went the next 4 1/3 innings to get the win. He allowed two hits, three runs and struck out six. The Raiders overcame 12 walks to get the win.
Taylor Lewis had four hits including two doubles and Gilmore also had two doubles and drove in five runs. Jeffrey Omohundro had a double, single and four RBIs.
Section managed eight hits with center fielder Chris Manning stroking a double and single to drive in two runs. Trent Linderman also had a single and two RBIs.
The losing pitcher was starter Cody Goff (8-1). Reliever Ross Anderson pitched the final 5 1/3 innings scattering six hits, allowing three runs and striking out six in a strong performance for Coach Drew Davis’ Lions.
Class 2A Game 1: Houston Academy 8, Section 1
Maddox (8-1) walked only two and faced just 25 batters as Houston Academy took a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-three series.
Reeves, the center fielder in game 1, had a double and single and drove in three runs to pace the Raiders. He also scored twice and stole two bases. Maddox also had two hits and drove in two runs. First baseman Lewis had one hit and scored three runs.
Luke Anderson, Goff and Bailey Atchley each had a single for Section (31-12). Heath McRae (7-2) started and suffered the loss. Anderson allowed only one hit over the final 4 2/3 innings for the Lions. He also walked eight and struck out nine but did not get a decision.
Class 3A Game 2: Madison Academy 3, Sipsey Valley 2
Hurler Greg Lambert (8-5) pitched a complete-game three-hitter, walking five and striking out seven to get the win. Ninth-place batter Will Acuff and McLaughlin keyed two important two-out rallies in the second and fourth innings. McLaughlin’s punch hit to left in the fourth moved the winning run into scoring position and Blake Coward singled to drive in the clinching run. Acuff, who was 2-for-2, drove in the Mustangs’ first two runs in the second inning. McLaughlin added a double and bunt single to finish with three hits.
Losing pitcher Justin Thomas (7-3) went the distance for Coach P.J. Guy’s Bears. He scattered nine hits, walked three and struck out five. Thomas and Nate Harcrow each stroked a double, and Brady Holcombe added a single for Sipsey Valley (36-19), which was making its first trip to the state finals.
Class 3A Game 1: Madison Academy 3, Sipsey Valley 2
Madison Academy (33-13) nipped Sipsey Valley 3-2 in game one of the AHSAA Class 3A State Baseball Championship Series Thursday at Riverwalk Stadium. Game two of the series was underway Thursday night.
Winning pitcher Taylor Clemons (11-1) pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and two unearned runs. He walked two and struck out one. Jake Christa pitched the final inning, allowing one hit and striking out one to notch his second save of the season.
Cody Mills (8-4) pitched a complete game for Sipsey Valley (36-18). He yielded nine hits and three runs while walking none and striking out four.
Leading Coach Mike Good’s Mustangs offensively was lead-off hitter Bo McLaughlin, who had three hits and scored a run. Clemons had an RBI double and Christa had a double, a single and one RBI.
Pacing the Bears was Taylor Duncan, who had two hits and an RBI. Mills doubled and scored one run.
A third game in the series would be played Friday at Paterson Field at 1 p.m. if needed.