News Sports Opinion Photos Social Classified Obits Contact
 
 
 
Love
Photo by Kyle Thornton

Tigers in regional this week after wild area finale

By Michael Butler

Tallassee opened the area tournament with a loss, 4-2 to Pike Road. "Every team is good," THS head coach Pat Love spoke said of the four teams in the field going into Wednesday's opener.

With the game-one loss, the top seed was another loss away from ending its season prematurely. The Tigers responded; however, with wins over Beauregard 11-1 and Pike Road 16-4. The win in the rematch with the Patriots made Tallassee a qualifier for the regional and set up the tournament title vs. Brewbaker Tech.

The Rams and Tigers tied for the regular season championship in splitting the two earlier meetings, yet no one could have expected what would ensue on Thursday night - a 20-19 win for Brew Tech to clinch the area championship in eight innings.

The game lasted almost four hours. The two teams combined for 34 hits in addition to the 39 runs scored. There were seven homeruns collectively.

The largest lead was 9-2 for the Rams at the midway point, but Tallassee grabbed its first lead with a nine-run sixth to go up 16-12. Brew Tech countered with a four-run seventh and held the Tigers in the bottom half to send it to extras.

Chloe Baynes and Avary Lumpkin had three hits each. Belle Haynes, Regan Easterwood, Abbie Smith and Jenna Manning had two hits a piece. Haynes and Easterwood also had homers. Smith led the team with five RBIs.

"We played good," Love said of the tourney. "We had a letdown during the first game but responded well."

Tallassee's quest to return to the state tourament begins on Wednesday at 9 a.m. vs. Demopolis, a team they beat in the regional last year. Brew Tech and Elmore County are also among the opponents in the field in the Central Regional at Montgomery's Lagoon Park.

"Our regional is going to be hard," Love added. "We are going to have to play well in all phases to advance. It's going to be exciting."

Score 94.7/Hit 106.9 will be broadcasting and live streaming (audio only) the tournament. Airtime will be 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday.

Class 5A Central Regional

Sipsey Valley (20-22-1) vs. Brewbaker Tech (35-4)
Central-Clay County (17-14) vs. Elmore County (34-12-1)

Tallassee (27-13) vs. Demopolis (17-15-1)
Holtville (19-14) vs. Shelby County (21-7)

Regional Full Bracket
2022 Schedule/Results