It was a day of dominant pitching and explosive offense across the Alabama high school baseball playoffs, with several local teams punching their tickets to the next round. Leading the charge was Lindsay Lane, which delivered a statement sweep against Cold Springs in the Class 2A second round.
Wyatt Wallace was simply untouchable in the opener. The Lions' ace fired a complete-game shutout, scattering just two hits over seven innings while striking out six and walking only one. He was incredibly efficient, throwing 55 of his 68 pitches for strikes in a 4-0 victory. Wallace also helped his own cause at the plate, driving in two runs with a single. Grayson Miller added a single and an RBI, while L.T. Thornton, Cooper Abernathy, and Hampton Wallace each chipped in a hit.
If game one was about pitching, game two was all about the bats. Lindsay Lane erupted for a 13-3 win to complete the doubleheader sweep. Abernathy was the star, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Fin Reding collected three hits and drove in two, while Thornton added two singles and two RBIs. On the mound, Miller went the distance, striking out nine over six innings while allowing just two earned runs. The Lions now await the winner of the Vincent vs. Mars Hill series in next week's quarterfinals.
Athens Bible School also had a dominant day, sweeping Skyline in Class 1A action. Jake Banta set the tone in game one with a triple, a single, and two RBIs, leading the Trojans to a 7-1 victory. Gavin Butler and Chandler James each drove in a run, while Ryan Faust went the distance on the mound for the win. In game two, Justin Crafton took control, allowing just two earned runs over six innings with six strikeouts in a 4-2 win. Faust again contributed offensively with a single and two RBIs, and Luke Murrell added a hit and an RBI. The Trojans advance to face the winner of the Spring Garden-Hubbertville series.
In Class 5A, East Limestone split a doubleheader with Lincoln. Landon Compton singled and drove in two runs to lead the Indians to a 4-3 win in the opener. Josh Thallas added an RBI, Brodie Coker chipped in two singles, and Chris Eslick earned the win with six innings of three-run ball. Lincoln answered with a walk-off win in game two, setting up a decisive game three.
Elkmont ran into a buzzsaw in Collinsville's Gavin Lang, who struck out 13 over six innings while allowing just two hits and three walks in a 7-0 Class 3A shutout. Lincoln Doner and Bentley Mitchell had the lone hits for Elkmont, while Lang also did damage at the plate with a double and four RBIs.
In softball action, West Morgan picked up a 10-7 win over West Point, powered by Alyssa Cleveland's 2-for-4, three-RBI performance. Payson Terry added a home run to the offensive outburst.