Staff reports
The Wiregrass Kings baseball team battled back from a first-game loss with a pair of wins, but fell short of reaching the Alabama Christian Schools Conference state tournament Saturday.
After losing to Ezekiel Academy on Friday, the Kings beat the East Central Patriots 15-5 and Tuscaloosa Home School 18-3 before losing to the Evangel Christian Lightning 12-0.
In the first win, Zane Alford led the way for the Kings, going 3-for-3 with three runs batted in and Riley Treadway had two hits, including a homer, and drove in two you run Jake Thompson, Zeke Alford and Luke Strickland each had two hits with Thompson and Strickland driving in a run each. Thompson had a triple in his hits. Owen Brown added one hit and three runs were driven in.
Daniel Simmons was the winning pitcher, working 5 1/3 innings. He had two strikeouts and allowed only four hits. Bryson Treadaway recorded the final two outs.
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In the second win, Zane Alford had two hits, a triple, and drove in four runs and Thompson had two hits and two runs scored to lead the Kings. Riley Treadaway also had two hits, while Zeke Alford had a double and three runs batted in and Strickland had a single and also drove in three. Zach Crisler had a double and two runs batted in and Turner Locke had a single and RBI. Riley Smith also drove in a run.
Tripp Andrews was the winning pitcher, throwing four innings and striking out two.
In Evangel Christian’s loss, the Kings managed just one hit – a single by Thompson.
Wiregrass Kings 4, Southern Christian 3: Grace Treadaway had three hits and Lydia Elder had two hits, one double, and drove in three runs to lead the Kings offense.
Olivia Hobson added two hits and an RBI and Hannah Phillips had a double.
Phillips got the pitching win, striking out 10 and giving up three runs.
Ezekiel Academy 5, Wiregrass Kings 3: The Kings fell one game short of the championship, losing to Ezekiel Academy 5-3.
Elder led the Kings’ seven-hit attack with three hits and one run batted in. Mattie Hobson added a hit and an RBI.
The kings fell in the championship: The Wiregrass Kings junior varsity team made it to the ACSC championship game, but lost to the Evangel Christian Lightning 5-2.
Jake Thompson was 3-for-3 and Zach Crisler had two hits with a run batted in to lead the Kings, who had six hits in the game. Owen Brown had another hit.
The Kings advanced to the finals with a 17-3 victory last Friday against the East Central Patriots.
Zeke Alford hit an inside-the-park grand slam homer to spark an 11-run first inning. He added a two-run double in the second inning.
Brown had a run-scoring triple and a bases-loaded walk and a bases-loaded walk for a run batted in.
Owen Brown was the winning pitcher, striking out five in three innings and allowing just one hit and one earned run. Jake Rainwater got the last three outs, a couple on strikeouts.