Golden Tigers continue hot streak, Heaps gets win No. 300

Russellville’s varsity baseball team is on a hot streak. The Golden Tigers recently defeated Haleyville along with Loretto, Tenn., and are winners of four out of their past five games.

The Class 5A third-ranked RHS team hosted the Haleyville Lions and needed only five innings to get the 12-2 victory.

The Golden Tigers got two home runs from Canyon Pace and one from Eli Gipson, along with extra-base hits from Shayden Romans and Brayden Spurgeon.

Pace was three for three with five RBIs, and he scored three runs. Reed Hill was also three for three with three runs. Romans had three RBIs, and Spurgeon added two. Grayson “Goose” Thorpe contributed to the RHS cause with a hit, a stolen base and a run.

Russellville used two pitchers during the contest, and Brayden Heaps got the start and win with four innings of one-hit, one-run work. Heaps struck out four and was relieved by Emitt Green, who pitched the game’s final inning, also allowing a hit and a run.

RHS head coach Chris Heaps got career win No. 300 with the victory at Loretto March 17. Russellville evened the record on the season to 7-7 with the 10-5 triumph over the Mustangs.

The Golden Tigers were able to break a 5-5 tie with late runs to get the win for Samuel Pace, pitcher of the last three innings of the game. Pace allowed one hit and struck out five while allowing no runs.

Banks Langston got the start on the mound and struck out four while throwing 76 pitches.

Gipson and Pace both homered and doubled, with senior shortstop Gipson going four for four with the bat. Pace had two hits and four RBIs and scored two runs. Ethan Oliver scored a run and had two doubles and an RBI. Hill had two hits, a walk and two RBIs and scored twice and was joined in the hit column by Thorpe, who singled and scored a run.