AHSAA BASEBALL: Trinity continues first-round playoff trend with win over West Blocton; Tallassee eliminated
Reed Bledsoe loses his helmet as he scores a run for Trinity in Thursday’s win over West Blocton. (Tim Gayle)
By TIM GAYLE
Friday’s doubleheader between Trinity and West Blocton had a special feel to it for the Wildcat players.
They knew little about their opponent, but they understood the standard they were expected to uphold at Whittle-Armstrong Field.
“I told our guys to go where we want to go, to do what we want to do, the expectation around here is you’ve got to be different,” Trinity coach Chad Mansmann said. “That comes from every rep you take at practice, the time you put in, in the classroom, on and off the field as well as the time you put in the game, whether you’re in the dugout, on the field, up at the plate or on the mound.
“I felt like today we were a little more lax, maybe complacent at times, which was frustrating.”
Trinity (19-10) advanced to the state baseball playoffs for the 29th consecutive year and won its first-round matchup for the 11th consecutive year with a sweep of the Tigers, winning 16-3 in five innings and 12-0 in a seven-inning matchup to advance to the second round for the 26th time in that streak, dating back to a 2014 loss to Gordo.
There was nothing special about the doubleheader sweep. Trinity batters hit throughout the lineup with John Michael Cox scoring five runs, Mason Hawkins going 4 for 6 with two RBIs, Land Sharpless going 5 for 9 with six RBIs, P.J. Shelton going 5 for 9 with two RBIs, Brandon Boswell going 3 for 5 and scoring five runs and John Allen Schroll going 3 for 4 with an RBI in the second game.
The Wildcats looked impressive in the opener, but struggled after an early 6-0 lead in the second game.
“Maybe I was a little frustrated because I don’t know how the 18, 17, 16, 15-year-olds think at times,” Mansmann said. “Their minds wander at times. I was a little frustrated because I didn’t feel like our focus was in every rep.”
First-game starter P.J. Shelton set the tone on the mound, scattering five hits over five innings while allowing three runs, one earned. Shelton struck out seven and walked three.
“Hats off to P.J.,” Mansmann said. “He’s our Game One guy. He’s been very consistent and as far as quality innings, maybe all of them except one (at Catholic) has been a quality start. He’s done really well for us.”
Mason Hawkins pitched six innings in the second game, allowing three hits in a shutout performance that included five strikeouts and two walks. Patton Mitchell pitched the seventh inning, striking out two and walking one.
“I like what we’ve been doing the last couple of weeks, starting with Catholic, all the way through Tallassee, and those are really good teams,” Mansmann said. “The adversity we faced with the upteen innings we had against Catholic on one day and how they responded and played against Tallassee. I’m ready to get back to that.”
The Wildcats travel to Oak Grove for the second round of the 4A playoffs next week.
Bibb County 9, Tallassee 5
CENTERVILLE - A five-run third inning proved to be the difference in Bibb County’s 9-5 win over Tallassee in the deciding Game 3 of the Class 4A first-round series on Friday.
Bibb County opened the scoring in the first after Avery Brantley induced Cortez Morrow to hit into a fielder's choice, but one run scored.
In the second inning, Tallassee took the lead after Hudson Timmerman doubled to center and Avery Brantley singled to knock in a run apiece.
Bibb County scored five runs in the third highlighted by a double by Grant Burkes that drove in three.
Tallassee battled back with three runs in the top of the fifth on a home run by Hamp Love, but the Tigers. would get no closer.
Kaige Watkins earned the win for Bibb County, allowing five runs on six hits through in a complete game win.. He recorded seven strikeouts while walking one.
Brantley took the loss for Tallassee pitching two and one-third innings, surrendering six runs on five hits, striking out three and walking two.
Love went 2-for-3 including the three-run homer. Timmerman and Love each collected two hits for Tallassee.
Bibb County (20-11) advances to face Orange Beach in the second round while Tallassee’s season ends at 17-13.