Red Level fell short to Leroy in the second round of the 1A two-game state championship played at home on April 26.
The Bears have improved their record to 18-17 following the sweep and made it to the quarterfinals while the Tigers concluded the season with a an overall record of 10-9.
Game 1
Brayden Huebner opened the match with one. He scored by stealing a base hit from Wilson Busby. Huebner hit the first game’s run with two outs prior to Busby was caught taking third. Buddy Griffin began the bottom portion with a single and was able to score the sacrifice bunt of Javen Poindexter. Walker Simmons followed with a walk, and Caleb Padgett brought home Griffin with his RBI double. Simmons hit the ball on an error in throwing to take a 2-1 lead following one.
Sawyer Sullivan delivered a one-out single in the second however, Poindexter made into a double play of 6-3. Kennith Huckabaa scored the right to pass free and moved to second base on the sacrifice bunt of Tracy Coxwell. Huebner was able to keep Huckabaa on the scoreboard after two strikeouts. Huebner as well as Kaleb Giles started an unbroken rally of two singles that put runners on the corners. LHS made it even at 2-2 after an RBI single by Busby and then Padgett did not throw away Giles in the second. RLS took advantage of its half by scoring four runs on two hits. Poindexter hit a walk and set up an RBI single by Simmons. Connor Blackwell cashed in an RBI single just before Simmons scored with an unintentional pitch. Blackwell scored after an error then Grayson Hodges raced home on an unhit ball to take an 6-2 lead at the end of three innings.
The Bears scored eight runs in the middle of the fourth inning after two outs and then took control. John Foster and Rylon Moore reduced the deficit to 4-4 by hitting each other in succession. Huebner was able to tie the game at 6-6 after an RBI single, and then four consecutive hits extended his lead up to 10-6. After two strikeouts during the second portion, Simmons slashed a single for RLS and then took third base due to an error. Huebner held on to the lead by hitting an outfield hit.
Leroy drove across 3 runs during the fifth’s top of the 5th. Padgett started the home part with a single before an uni-play. Huckabaa first reached on an error and moved to second with a single from Coxwell. Brady Keith maintained the 13-6 lead by striking out.
The hosts kept their offensive firepower going by scoring eight times in the sixth’s top and took a lead of 21-6. Griffin began the end of the frame with a walk, before Keith caused two groundouts and the flyout. Simmons hit 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Coxwell and Padgett each went one-for-one. Blackwell was a 1-for-4 player with a run as well as an RBI. Skipper pitched nine earned runs over seven hits, and knocked out two over 3 2/3 of an inning.
Game 2
Griffin began the second game by hitting an unassisted single before Sullivan hit two batters and scored the flyout. Huebner made it to third following an error during the lower of the inning and scored with an RBI single by Giles. Blackwell avoided further injury and made it 1-1 after just one inning. Poindexter and Padgett were able to walk in the top of the second inning before Hodges was struck by a strike and walked the bases. Sullivan almost got away, but he was unable to escape when he walked Griffin and was able to bring to home Poindexter with the winning run. Sullivan began the game with a single before moving to second after the groundout. Foster hit a grounder as an error brought 2-1 after 2 innings.
Red Level could not take advantage of walks to Simmons and Poindexter at the top three innings. Blackwell took over the team in order after six pitches. Coxwell struck out a single in the fourth, and then reached 90 feet following an error however a pair flyouts ended the comeback. Leroy got some breathing room after scoring the sixth spot in its half, putting up an 8-1 advantage. Blackwell doubled in the fifth frame, and Padgett left prior to when the Tigers were shut out. Two walks by Sullivan and Giles led to the single of Foster at the bottom of the frame. Moore and Huebner hit RBI singles, before Giles made an RBI sacrifice fly that made it a Bears an 11-1 victory.
Coxwell and Griffin both hit 1-for-2 at the plate, and Blackwell was a mere with a single-for-3. Blackwell pitched 10-runs (four earned) through six hits as well as struck one out over four innings.
The article Red Level ends season against Leroy in the second game of the playoffs was first published in The Andalusia Star-News.
