Caleb Suggs

Hartselle Enquirer

If the message was to wake up, then that message was well received by the Hartselle Tigers baseball team last week. After being run ruled 13-3 by the Austin Black Bears in the first game of their area series, the Tigers faced a situation in which they would have to win back-to-back games in a doubleheader to claim the series. Hartselle was also dealing with the pressure that if they did not win the series they would be in danger of not going to the playoffs for the first time ever under Booth. Hartselle answered the call with plenty of offense.

Hartselle wasted no time in grabbing the lead in the first game. Garrett Wade singled to drive in Brady Netherton and tie the game 1-1. Six bases loaded walks, three on a hit by pitch, gave the Tigers six more runs. A two RBI single from Riley Wood to drive in Chuck Ord and Taylor Easterling finished the nine run inning for Hartselle. Hartselle added five more runs in the fourth off two singles from Netherton and Austin Parker along with a double from Ethan Ellis. Ellis also scored off an error as Hartselle went on to win the game 14-2 in five innings. Netherton led the Tigers in hits with three, while Austin Parker led in RBIs with three. Garrett Wade got the win on the mound. He gave up three hits and one run in four innings pitched.

Hartselle 10, Austin 3:

Hartselle clinched the series over the Black Bears with a 10-3 win. Austin led 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth, but an eight run inning pushed the Tigers over the Bears. Brady Netherton tied the game 2-2 with an RBI single. Later, three straight singles Chuck Ord, Matt James and Riley Wood drove in three runs. Hartselle led 9-2 after that inning and went on to win the game 10-3. Netherton and Ord led the team in hits and RBIs with three hits each and two RBIs each. Houston Wright got the win for the Tigers.