Phil Campbell advances to fourth-straight final four

The Phil Campbell Bobcats regrouped after a tough game two loss to beat the Lauderdale County Tigers in game three to advance to their fourth straight Class 3A final four. Phil Campell will travel to Gordo on Thursday. The two teams will play at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. If a game three is necessary, it will be played on Friday at 2 p.m.

“I think we felt a little pressure today,” said Phil Campbell coach Jonathan Raper. “We didn’t play like we usually play. We always talk about how we are going to have a bad game. When that happens you just have to find a way to win and we did.”

In game one, Cody Quinn drove in four runs on three hits to lead the Bobcats to a 17-5 opening series win. Quinn drove in runs on a single in the third and a single in the sixth. 

Phil Campbell got things started in the first inning on an RBI-double by Hunter Baker. The Bobcats put up six runs in the sixth inning getting singles from Kyle Pace, Quinn and Koltin Hester.

Quinn had three hits, four RBIs and scored three times. Robby Robinson had three hits, two RBIs and scored a run. Kyle Pace had three hits, two RBIs and scored three times. Bryant Anthony had two hits, two RBIs and scored twice.

Cole Pace was the game one winner.

Phil Campbell lost a classic pitching battle in game two between Kyle Pace and Lauderdale County’s Miles Edwards. Both teams tossed a one-hitter. Pace struck out 10 Tigers and allowed no hits. Edwards struck out 15 Bobcats and allowed just a single from Sage Raper in the fifth. Lauderdale County’s triple in the eighth inning off Hunter Baker was all the Tigers needed to take game two and send the series into a decisive game three.

If there were any butterflies in the Bobcats stomachs, they expelled them in the first inning, being very aggressive at the plate with four straight hits. Phil Campbell scored first on a Cam Habada triple, scoring Bryant Anthony. Habada scored on a Robinson single. Hunter Baker singled, moving Robinson to second. Both scored on a single to center by Kyle Pace to give the Bobcats a 4-0 first inning lead.
Lauderdale County cut the Bobcats lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the second inning and tied the game in the bottom of the third.

Phil Campbell wasted no time responding. In the top of the fourth inning, Hunter Baker got things started with an RBI-double scoring Robinson who doubled on the previous at bat. Baker came around to scored on a Kyle Pace double to make the score 6-4. The Bobcats extended their lead to 8-4 on a double by Koltin Hester scoring Kyle and Cole Pace.

The Bobcats added another run in the sixth inning and two in the seventh.

Eil Taylor got the win for the Bobcats.