SPRING PREPS: St. James, MA get key baseball wins; PCA soccer blasts Autauga Academy
COMBINED REPORTS
BASEBALL
St. James 7, Prattville Christian 3
Charlie Cutler pitched a complete game and rallied the Trojans with a fifth-inning grand slam as St. James won the 3A Area 5 championship with a 7-3 win over the Panthers at St. James on Thursday.
St. James is 4-1 in area play, while PCA, Alabama Christian and Montgomery Academy are all tied for second at 2-3 with one game remaining.
Cutler pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and only two earned runs. The senior also went 3 for 3 at the plate, rallying St. James from a 3-0 deficit in a five-run fifth that included his grand slam.
Mason Craig went 2 for 3 with an RBI and Grant Goff also had a double and an RBI in the sixth inning.
The two teams resume the series with a doubleheader at Prattville Christian on Friday starting at 5 p.m.
Montgomery Academy 11, Alabama Christian 1
Reid McBride pitched a complete-game three hitter, striking out six and allowing just one unearned run, as Montgomery Academy defeated Alabama Christian 11-1 in a crucial 3A Area 5 game at Montgomery Academy on Thursday.
The win, coupled with St. James’ win over Prattville Christian, left three teams tied for second place in the area standings with one area game remaining on Friday. Montgomery Academy (17-13) can wrap up second place -- and a playoff berth -- with a win in the first game of Friday’s doubleheader with ACA at the AUM Baseball Complex.
Montgomery Academy pounded out 15 hits in the win, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning, three more in the second, four in the fourth and two in the fifth to end the game on the 10-run mercy rule.
McBride not only handled ACA as the game winning pitcher, he also provided the offense, going 3 for 4 at the plate with an RBI. Paxton Haigler went 3 for 4 with three doubles and three RBIs, William Marks went 2 for 4 with a double and three RBIs and Vincent Desautels went 2 for 3 with three RBIs. Hays Marks added a double and an RBI.
SOFTBALL
St. James 10, Trinity 1
The Trojans wrapped up 3A Area 5 play with a 10-1 win over the Wildcats on Thursday at St. James to finish the area with a 6-0 record.
Trinity finished tied for second with a 3-3 record. The Trojans will face Montgomery Academy at home on May 4 in the opening round of the double-elimination area tournament, while Trinity will play Alabama Christian.
Emily Needham held the Wildcats in check in Thursday’s game, pitching a complete-game one hitter while allowing just one unearned run, walking two and striking out 16.
Emma Rose Meldrum, who went 1 for 3, had the only hit for Trinity. Harper Johnson drew both of the walks and scored the Wildcats’ only run.
Needham went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs at the plate. Addi Brunson went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and Mary Olive Maddox went 2 for 4 with an RBI. Sydney Johnston, Emily Darby, Lily Stanford and Koriah Cannon each had an RBI as well.
Isabella 10, Montgomery Academy 0
ISABELLA -- Montgomery Academy was held to just two hits in a 10-0 five-inning loss to Isabella on Tuesday.
Montgomery Academy (3-14) returns home to play host to Clay-Chalkville on Tuesday.
GIRLS SOCCER
Prattville Christian 10, Autauga Academy 0
Caroline Burkhart had three goals and assisted on another to lead the Panthers to a 10-0 win over the Generals on Thursday at Autauga Academy.
Addison Sutton also scored three goals for PCA, while Avery Mora and Eden Alexander each had one goal and one assist. Aiden Williams and Scarlett Mahlke each scored a goal and Mady Roy, Elizabeth Rossi and Anna Porter each had an assist.
PCA (3-9-3) evened its record at 3-3 in area play and will travel to Glenwood to play the Gators on Friday.
BOYS SOCCER
Montgomery Academy 5, Wetumpka 2
Jacob Stubblefield scored three goals and Hampton Welch added two as the Eagles defeated Wetumpka 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Goalkeeper Grady Ming recorded three saves to help secure the victory.
Montgomery Academy (8-8-2) will travel to Enterprise for an area matchup on Friday.