Courtesy of al.com
Etowah swept Lee-Huntsville, 2-1 and 7-3, in the second round of the Class 5A state baseball playoffs last Friday (Apr. 28) in Huntsville.
All the scoring in game 1 came in the first inning. Eli Dunn led off the inning with a solo home run, and Noah Parrish later scored on an error. In a complete-game effort, Dunn allowed one run and two walks on two hits while fanning seven. Lee-Huntsville’s Jalen Pearson also went the distance, allowing one earned run on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Parion Alexander drove in the Generals’ lone run.
In game 2, the scored was tied at 2-2 when Etowah pushed four across the plate in the fifth inning.
Cade Runyan went six and one-third innings for the win. He allowed one earned run on seven hits, struck out seven and walked two. Jacob Bobo went 2-for-3 with two RBI for the Blue Devils.
“Dunn and Runyan both threw the ball well for us,” said Etowah head coach Larry Foster. Once Dunn settles into a rhythm, it’s hard to score off of him. We faced two good pitchers, and in the second game we hit the ball well top to bottom in our lineup. I think we ended up with 12 hits. We had about six hits in that big [fifth] inning, and that kind of put the game out of reach. [Logan] Steele came in (in relief of Runyan) and struck out their No. 3 and 4 hitters, which was big.”
The Blue Devils (29-6) visit Russellville this Friday (May 5) in the state quarterfinals. The Tigers were ranked third in the ASWA Class 5A baseball poll for much of the regular season.
“[Russellville is] a good baseball team, but we’re not bad, either, so it ought to be a competitive series,” said Foster. “At this point in the season, you just go out and play and hope the ball bounces your way.”
Publisher/Editor Chris McCarthy contributed to this story