Woodland punches playoff ticket, RCHS eliminated by Wellborn

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The Woodland Bobcats are headed back to the baseball state playoffs, while RCHS could not get the win it needed to and was eliminated by Wellborn in games played Thursday.

Woodland knocked off Winterboro 8-5 in Woodland to complete a 2-0 sweep of their area series and advance to the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs next week.

The Bobcats got a strong 6-inning start from pitcher Connor Sheppard, and maximized six hits against Winterboro pitching to come away with the win.

Woodland fell behind 2-0 after the top of the first inning, but the Bobcats answered in the bottom half thanks to a two-run double off the bat of center fielder Tripp Morin.

With the game tied in the second Woodland sent nine men to the plate and scored four runs on three hits and three walks to build a 6-2 lead. Morin had an RBI groundout in the inning, and Sheppard added and RBI single.

Winterboro scored twice in the fourth to cut the lead to 6-4, but Woodland added single runs to the lead in on an RBI groundout by Jackson Smith in the fourth and an run-scoring ground ball in the sixth off the bat of Sheppard.

Smith gave up a run in the seventh, but got the final three outs in relief of Sheppard, who struck out 10 in six innings.

Morin finished 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBI, and Sheppard was 1-for-2 with a pair of free passes and two runs driven in.

Woodland will travel to Autauga Academy just outside of Prattville for its first-round series next week.

RCHS

RCHS needed two wins at Wellborn Thursday in order to reach the playoffs after losing Tuesday’s series opener in Wedowee. They gave themselves that opportunity with a 6-4 win in game two of the series Thursday, but Wellborn bounced back with a 10-6 win in the deciding third game and eliminated RCHS from playoff contention.

Dalton Spivey played a key role in the win to start the day as he pitched a complete game and went 1-for-3 and drove in two runs at the plate. RCHS fell behind 4-2 after a 4-run second inning for Wellborn. But the Tigers took the lead with three in the third and added an insurance run in the fourth.

That was plenty for Spivey, who gave up three of his six hits allowed in the game in the second inning, but held the Panthers scoreless after that.

The game swung RCHS’s way in the third inning, which began with three straight walks to Kameron Parmer, Rhett Huddleston and Payton Pinkard. The Tigers cashed in on all three of those base runners, with Spivey’s two-run single the big hit in the inning.

Sawyer Hester and Ryder Pinson also had run scoring hits in the game for RCHS.

The Tigers fell behind 6-2 after two innings in the final game of the series, but by the time the top of the sixth was done RCHS had closed the gap and trailed 7-6. But Wellborn scored three times in the bottom of the sixth and RCHS could not muster another rally.

Pinson went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI, and Hester added two hits and an RBI in four at-bats. Bryant Lee and Bo Moore also had RBI hits for the Tigers.

Although they won’t be in the playoffs the season isn’t quite done yet for RCHS. They are scheduled to take on Handley in Roanoke Monday and then close out the season at Ranburne Tuesday.

Handley

Handley’s playoff position was decided last week after its series against Munford. But the Tigers found out their first round opponent Thursday as Oak Grove swept Pleasant Grove to win that area. Handley will travel to Oak Grove for the first round of the playoffs next week.