Spanish Fort Wins 5A Baseball Title Over Cullman;
Spain Park Takes Game 3 To Win 6A Baseball Series
Spanish Fort scored four runs in the first inning and seven in the bottom of the fifth to beat Cullman 11-1 in game two of the Class 5A State Baseball Championship Series at Riverwalk Stadium. It was the Toros’ fourth state title in the last five seasons. Last year’s team finished runner-up.
Spain Park rebounded from a 5-0 loss in game two Saturday to beat Sparkman 9-4 in the third and final game as the Jaguars rolled to their first ever Class 6A state baseball championship.
The Jags of Coach Will Smith won game one Friday 2-1 at Riverwalk Stadium, but Sparkman hurler Breonn Pooler evened the series at 1-1 with his two-hit gem in game two.
Class 6A Game 3: Spain Park 9, Sparkman 4
Spain Park (38-17), which had plated only two runs in the first 14 innings of the championship series, scored three runs with two outs in the top of the first inning to take a quick 3-0 lead. That lead evaporated quickly when Sparkman (39-14) scored four runs in the bottom of the inning on just one hit and three costly Jaguars throwing errors.
Starting pitcher Tristan Widra (6-5) didn’t let the defensive breakdown bother him, however. He responded by blanking Coach Kellen Greer’s Senators the rest of the way. He finished with a three-hitter, allowed four unearned runs, walked three and struck out seven to get the win.
Spain Park tied the game with a run in the second inning, and then broke it open with Jon Sumner’s bases-loaded triple in the third. Sumner later added a 395-foot sacrifice fly to dead center that the Senators’ center fielder hauled in with a spectacular running catch. Sumner finished with four RBIs and was named the 6A championship series MVP.
Tyler Wise also had a single and two RBIs for the Jaguars, Josh Rich clubbed two doubles, and Parker Hall, Alan Desantis and Dalton Brown each added two hits.
Reliever Scott Windsor (3-3) pitched 3 1/3 innings to get the loss. Tanner Burns pitched the final three innings allowing only one hit, no runs and striking out one for Sparkman.
A.C. Dantonio and Will Sipes each had a single and scored a run for the Senators.
Class 6A Game 2: Sparkman 5, Spain Park 0
Sparkman right fielder Brock Anderson slammed a three-run homer in the fifth inning and winning pitcher Breonn Pooler tossed a two-hit shutout to lead the Senators to a 5-0 win over Spain Park in game two of the Class 6A state baseball championship series Saturday at Riverwalk Stadium.
The victory for Coach Kellen Greer’s team evened best 2-of-3 series at one win each. The third and final game of the series is underway.
Pooler (9-2) walked three and struck out three. Josh Rich (6-2) struck out three, allowed five hits and gave up only two earned runs in the setback for Spain Park (37-17). Pooler only threw 78 pitches and Rich 77 in a game that lasted only 1 hour and 20 minutes.
A.C. Dantonio had two hits and an RBI and Tanner Burns also drove in a run with a single for Sparkman (39-13). Austin Haight had a double and Parker Hall a single for Spain Park.
Class 6A Game 1: Spain Park 2, Sparkman 1
Mason Duke (9-3) tossed a six-hitter and struck out 13 for Coach Will Smith’s Jaguars (37-16). He walked two and threw only 106 pitches. Brock Anderson (10-4) went 6 2/3 innings for Sparkman (38-13) to get the loss. He also allowed six hits and struck out four.
Jon Sumner and Parker Hall each had RBI singles for Spain Park. Sumner’s two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning plated Alan Desantis for the winning run.
Jarod Howell had two hits for the Senators of Coach Kellen Greer. A.C. Dantonio also had two hits, including a double, and drove in Sparkman’s only run in the fourth inning.
Class 5A Game 2: Spanish Fort 11, Cullman 1
Winning pitcher Will Luft (10-1) allowed only two hits and one run in pitching the five-inning complete game. He walked two and struck out four.
The Toros (39-6) of Coach Brent Boyd clubbed 11 hits. It was a bases-loaded walk drawn by Rob Perteet that forced in Hunter Stokes for the series-ending run, however. Perteet finished with one hit and the RBI. Hunter Beard and Myles York also had two doubles each to pace Spanish Fort. Jesse McCord, who pitched the first-game win at Paterson Field Friday, walked three times and scored two runs and was named MVP of the championship Series.
Lance Cleveland had a double and Kolby Robinson had a single for the two Bearcats hits off Luft. Starting pitcher Auston Neal pitched 4 1/3 innings to get the loss. Cullman, coached by Brent Patterson, finished the season 42-12.
Class 5A Game 1: Spanish Fort 6, Cullman 0
Jesse McCord (12-1) pitched the shutout victory, allowing only four hits and striking out 14 for the Toros (38-6). Coach Brent Boyd’s team pounded out 12 hits with Will Luft going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Brian Lane also had an RBI double.
Jesse Scott (8-3) pitched 5 2/3 innings to take the loss.
Auston Neal had two hits and Cristian Martinez and Lance Cleveland had one each for Cullman (42-11).