DOTHAN, Ala. – The Rehobeth Rebels are now in the driver’s seat in Class 5A, Area 3.
Now they just don’t need to crash next Thursday against Carroll to take the area title and earn a first-round state playoff series at home.
Behind efficient pitching from Zach Hannah and a key three-run fourth inning, the Rebels defeated Headland 5-1 Friday afternoon in Rehobeth to stay in first place of the three-team area.
Friday’s win came on the heels of a 4-2 Rebel win at Headland Thursday night.
“That’s the two best baseball games we have put together since I have been here in two-and-a half years,” Rehobeth head coach John Griffin said. “Game 1 (Thursday night) was flawless in all three areas — hitting, fielding and pitching. Today, we didn’t come out like we did (Thursday night), but we got some timely hits, though we are striking out too much (nine strikeouts), and the pitching was pretty good.”
Rehobeth (11-3 overall) improved to 2-0 in the area with the two wins. Headland (10-6 overall), which swept Carroll last week, fell to 2-2. Carroll is 0-2. Rehobeth needs to win only one of the two games at home Thursday against Carroll to win the area crown.
“I am real proud of these guys,” Griffin said. “The last couple of years we have been down. We haven’t had an older bunch. The last two years, we had just three seniors on each group. Now we have a junior-senior team and it is a big difference in high school baseball.”