Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

The Hartselle Tigers second stop during spring break took them to the University of Alabama, where they took on the Central-Phenix Red Devils in a doubleheader.

After two scoreless innings, Hartselle took the lead in the third. Taylor Easterling and Riley Wood both got on base after being hit by a pitch. Connor Burks then reached on an error to score Easterling. Brady Netherton added a sacrifice ground out to score Wood and give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Hartselle added two more runs in the sixth inning when the Tigers loaded the bases with two outs. Connor Burks then delivered a two RBI double to drive in Andrew Nuss and Chuck Ord. Riley Wood was thrown out at home to end the innings but the Tigers still held the lead 4-0. Central-Phenix managed to get on the board in the seventh, but the Tigers held on for the win 4-1. Brady Netherton got the complete game-pitching win for the Tigers. Netherton allowed just two hits and one run with eight strikeouts in seven innings pitched. Chuck Ord picked up two hits in the game while Connor Burks finished with two RBIs.

Hartselle 5, Central-Phenix 4:

The second game of the doubleheader between the Tigers and Red Devils was much closer than the first. Hartselle took the lead first in the second inning when Chuck Ord drove in Eric Stephenson off an RBI single. Hartselle tacked on four more runs in the fourth inning. Austin Parker started the inning with a triple. Ord later drove in pinch runner Andrew Nuss with a sacrifice bunt. Taylor Easterling and Chandler Stinson added an RBI single and a RBI double respectively. Stinson later scored on an error to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead.

Central-Phenix climbed back into the game in the sixth inning. A two RBI triple cut the lead to 5-2 and another two RBI single cut it to 5-4. However, the Red Devils couldn’t complete the comeback as Hartselle recorded three straight outs in the seventh to get the win 5-4. Garrett Wade got the win on the mound as he allowed four hits and four runs with three strikeouts in six innings pitched. Houston Wright got the save. Chuck Ord led the Tigers with two RBIs.