Prep Baseball Roundup: Ariton erupts for big lead; holds off G.W. Long

DOTHAN, Ala. – No. 7 ranked Ariton scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth to break away from a 6-5 margin then held off a Rebel rally in the seventh for an 11-8 Class 2A, Area 2 win over No. 3 G.W. Long in high school baseball action at Ariton Thursday.

Landon Thrash had a RBI triple and Jackson Baker and Caden Collier had a run-scoring single each in the Ariton sixth with the other two runs scoring on an outfield error.

Long scored three times in the seventh and had the bases loaded with two outs when Ariton reliever Landon Thrash got a strikeout to end the game.

Connor Thrash had three hits and a RBI to lead Ariton (15-7, 5-0). Paxton Steed had two hits, one a double, with an RBI and Collier also had two hits with a RBI. Landon Thrash and Baker added a hit and RBI each.

For Long (11-9, 4-1), Jackson Chancey, Jackson Dasinger and Mikey Vanderhayden all had two hits each with a RBI. Carson Dunlap added a hit and two RBI and Trevor Morris had a single and RBI. Chancey had a triple and Tanner Johnston a double.

Phenix Griffin was the winning pitcher, working 4 2/3 innings and giving up six hits and five runs with four strikeouts. Thrash, who entered in the fifth, picked up a save.

Houston Academy 11, Slocomb 1: After a doubleheader split on Wednesday, Houston Academy came out roaring early in the third game of the Class 3A, Area 3 series Thursday against Slocomb, scoring nine runs in the first inning during a 12-1 win over the RedTops.

Tucker Jackson opened the game with a single and JT Pitchford followed with a double before Sheldon Ott grounded out with Jackson scoring. JT Ackerman then delivered a run-scoring triple. Hunter Dean singled to put runners at the corners and was followed by consecutive RBI singles by Will Wells and Chapman Andrews to make it 5-0.

After a single by Max Burgreen loaded the bases, Walker Elliott was hit by pitch forcing in a run. Jackson, up for a second time, doubled home two and a Pitchford sac fly scored Elliott.

For the game, Jackson had two hits with four runs batted in to lead HA.

Ott and Jackson combined to limit Slocomb to five hits and one run. Ott, the winning pitcher, went four innings, giving up a run on three hits, while striking out six. Jackson worked the last inning, striking out three and giving up one hit.

Josh King had two hits for Slocomb and Cade Birge earned a triple. Wyatt Reeder had a RBI ground out.

Prattville 7, Dothan 6 (8 innings): Dothan surged ahead with two runs in the top of the eighth, but Prattville answered with three in the bottom half to knock off the Wolves 7-6 in an Class 7A, Area 3 extra-inning game in Prattville in the first game of a doubleheader.

Chase Allsup had two hits, one a double, with two RBI for and Jace Dyer had a hit with two RBI for Dothan (17-6, 0-1). Matthew Omohundro drove in two runs.

Enterprise 18-12, Jeff Davis 0-1: Enterprise finished off a Class 7A, Area 3 doubleheader sweep of Jeff Davis, winning 12-1 behind the four-hit, two RBI performance of Parker Session.

Noah Loy, Jack Williams and Drew Shiver all had two hits with a double and Williams and Shiver both drove in two runs. Will Powell had a hit and drove in three runs and Payton Easterling had a hit and RBI.

Logan Fleming pitched three innings, allowing a run on three hits, while striking out six. Lane Danford pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out three.

In the opener, Owen Burrow pitched a four-inning, two-hit shutout with eight strikeouts and the Wildcats scored five runs each in the first two innings to take control in an 18-0 Class 7A, Area 3 win over the Vols in the first game of a doubleheader.

Offensively for EHS, Tristin Leib and Talmadge Session both had two hits with three runs batted in. Cade Peacock had two hits and two RBI and Will Powell had a hit with three RBI for Enterprise, which had 19 players bat in the game. Drew Shiver and Payton Easterling both had a hit and two RBI and both Jack Williams and Tristan Bartling had a hit and one RBI. Easterling, Leib, Powell and Brady Richardson had a double each.

Providence Christian 10, Carroll 0: Five Providence pitchers combined on a five-inning, two-hit shutout with seven strikeouts in the PCS win at Ozark’s Eagle Stadium.

Harrison Mims, Abe Chancellor, Jake Smith, Clark Crowder and Porter Dykes all went one inning with Mims, Chancellor and Dykes not allowing a hit. Chancellor struck out three and Crowder two.

Offensively, Chancellor, Reed Linder, Mims, Frank Wells and Chapel Stickler all had two hits with Mims earning two doubles and Chancellor one. Chancellor drove in two runs and Wells and Stickler one each. Linder, Smith and Crowder had a triple each with Smith driving in two runs. Matthew Morris had a double and a RBI and Matt Dave Snell had a single with two RBI.

Carroll’s two hits were a single each from Jack Chancey and Stinson Draper.

Geneva 8, Dale County 7: Reed Wilson run-scoring single to right scored Avery Perry in the bottom of the seventh to give Geneva a walk-off 8-7 win over Dale County in a Class 4A, Area 2 contest.

Dale County had tied the game in the top of the seventh on a RBI single by Christian Ross, but left the bases loaded.

Ryan Jackson, Perry and Aubrey Jenkins had two hits each for Geneva with Jackson driving in two runs and Perry and Jenkins one each. Jackson and Perry both had a double among their hits.

Ross and Gaven Cole paced Dale County with three hits each with one a double. Ross drove in one run. Aiden Wright and Devin Grider had two hits each with Wright earning a double and a RBI.

Straughn 13-11, Ashford 1-1: Straughn defeated Ashford 11-1 to compete a Class 4A, Area 2 doubleheader sweep after winning the opener 13-1.