RHS falls to Springville in baseball playoffs
The Golden Tigers (27-12) hosted the Springville Tigers (29-9) for two games May 2, and Russellville lost game one of the best-of-three series by a 6-0 final score and dropped game two 3-0.
In game one, RHS stopped a first inning Springville scoring threat when first baseman Eli Boutwell caught a pop foul and threw to catcher Michael Scofield who put the tag on a Springville base runner at the plate for the third out.
SHS managed to score a run in the third inning to break a scoreless tie and the visitors added two more runs in both the fourth and fifth frames before scoring the final run of the contest in the top of the seventh inning.
Springville’s Carter Samuelson pitched a complete game, allowing six Russellville hits to get the win. Cayden Johns also went the distance on the mound for RHS, allowing two earned runs. The Russellville defense committed four errors, and Springville had none.
Daniel Askew had two hits for Russellville. Johns had a double and additional RHS hits came from Brandt Cummings, Michael Scofield and Devin Green.
In game two, the teams were tied 0-0 until the bottom half of the fourth inning when Springville scored all three runs of the contest. Russellville pitcher Brandt Cummings battled Springville starter Alex Holland until Cummings was unable to continue on the mound due to leg cramps in the fourth.
Holland went four innings allowing all three Russellville hits. Two came from the bat of Cummings and one by Boutwell. Ryan King pitched the final three innings for Springville while Ty Engelthaler pitched the last 2.2 innings for RHS allowing one hit and no runs.
The Russellville Golden Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the AHSAA Class 5A baseball playoffs by winning two games over the Leeds Greenwave during a three-game second round series last week.
RHS traveled to Leeds for the series and won the first game April 26 by a 12-4 final score. Leeds came back in game two of the night and defeated Russellville 6-3, forcing a series-deciding third game April 27, also at LHS. The Golden Tigers took the series with an 8-3 win to end Leeds’ season in the playoffs for the third-straight season.
During game one, Russellville trailed 4-3 going into the top of the sixth inning. The Golden Tigers pounced for seven runs in the frame and added two more insurance runs in the seventh to get the victory.
Gunner Sappington had three hits and three RBI to lead RHS. Brayden Entrekin, Neyland Baker, Brandt Cummings, Michael Scofield and Brodie Vandiver all had two hits each for Russellville. Devin Green and Cayden Johns also added singles to the hit total of the Golden Tigers. Baker, Cummings, Scofield and Johns had two RBI each.
The Russellville defense committed seven errors and the Greenwave had two. Cayden Johns got the start on the mound and went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs before Ty Engelthaler came on in relief. Engelthaler got the win by pitching 4.2 innings. The right-hander allowed no earned runs and allowed four hits. Phillips and Thomas pitched for LHS.
Leeds outhit RHS 11-7 in game two and got the win. Russellville trailed 6-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning and tried for a late rally with three runs but lost 6-3. Cummings and Johns had two hits apiece. Daniel Askew, Scofield and Sappington also had hits. Scofield’s hit was a triple. Johns had the lone Russellville RBI. Brandt Cummings pitched the first five innings and struck out 11 batters. Engelthaler pitched two innings of relief.
Game three saw Russellville jump out to a 7-0 lead going into the bottom half of the third inning. Leeds scored twice in the third and once in the fourth.
Russellville eighth-grader Brayden Entrekin started the game on the mound and got the win. Entrekin went 5.2 innings and allowed three runs on five hits with only one run being earned. Eli Boutwell finished the game in relief. Boutwell allowed two hits and struck out one batter.
Daniel Askew and Brandt Cummings had three hits apiece. Entrekin, Baker, Scofield, Green, Sappington, Johns and Boutwell all added one hit each. Cummings had three RBI, Askew and Sappington added two each and Boutwell drove in one run.
Springville swept Ardmore in round one and won both games versus Southside in round two to advance to the quarterfinals.
