The Phil Campbell Bobcats have come to dominate the Franklin County varsity baseball tournament to such an extent that, once the 2022 tournament was over, no one seemed to know how many the defending Class 3A state champion Bobcats have won in a row.

The answer, it was finally determined, was six.

During the day, the question wasn’t so much whether anyone could beat the Bobcats. No one really believed Phil Campbell wouldn’t win. The question was, could anyone keep it close and have a chance?

The answer, in the end, was no.

In their first game, the Bobcats shut out Belgreen 14-0. In the finals, Phil Campbell put away Red Bay 17-1.

In Red Bay’s defense, it was the Tigers’ third game of the day, and their pitching was getting thin because of pitch counts.

Many of the Bobcats had attended their prom the night before, and fans might have expected they might stumble a bit – but it was apparently a non-factor.

“It’s always great to win the Franklin County Tournament,” said Phil Campbell Coach Jonathan Raper. “I was a little worried our guys wouldn’t be mentally into it today, but we were able to get the job done. We threw strikes and got the hits we needed.”

OPENING GAME

In the Bobcats’ opening game against Belgreen, they scored 13 runs in the second inning en route to the 14-0 win. Phil Campbell scored the 14 runs on 18 hits, taking advantage of six Belgreen errors.

Sage Raper and Hunter Baker had two hits each. Cam Habada had a three-RBI day. Kyle Pace, Cole Pace, and Jacob Barnwell had two RBIs each.  Bryant Anthony, Baker, Barnwell, and Cole Pace had two runs each.

On the mound, Kyle Pace pitched the complete game shutout, allowing two hits and striking out seven.

FINALS

In the finals against Red Bay, Phil Campbell again had a big second inning, scoring 15 runs en route to the 17-1 win and championship.

Senior Mason Swinney had a huge game with a triple, double and three RBIs, and he scored two runs.

The Bobcats got doubles from Cole Pace, Jacob Barnwell, Isaac Hill and Bryant Hyde. Hyde was recently released to hit from his doctors after rehabbing a torn ACL from football season.

Bryant Anthony had two hits and two RBIs and scored two runs for the Bobcats.

Eli Taylor led the Bobcats from the mound, allowing four hits and one run and striking out five.

OTHER ACTION

In Red Bay’s run up to the championship game, the Tigers beat Tharptown 7-4 and Vina 17-1.

Tharptown led 4-0 before Red Bay had a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the fourth inning.  A two-run double by Jessie Mitchell led to the Wildcats’ 4-0 lead.

Singles by Jeremiah Robinson and Jeremiah Thorne and a double by Landon Glover sparked the Tigers’ seven–run fourth.

In the Vina game, Glover homered. Ty Reynolds had two doubles and five RBIs.  Eli Farris doubled and had four RBIs. Brady Hardin doubled.

Dallas Terrell pitched five innings, allowing six hits and striking out six.