RHS tennis continues strong start
By Staff
Mike Self FCT Sports Editor
The Russellville High School boys tennis team continued its hot start to the 2006 season with a strong showing this past weekend at a tournament in Opelika.
The tournament field featured some of the top tennis programs in the state, including defending Class 4A state champion UMS-Wright and perennial 5A powerhouse St. Paul's.
The Golden Tigers' No. 4 singles player, Tyler Malone, lost his opening match to Bob Jones but bounced back to win two matches and claim the consolation bracket championship.
Russellville's top three players, T.J. Drake, Kiefer Rea and John Tyler Hardin, each advanced to the semifinals of the winner's bracket.
Drake lost 5-7, 2-6 to the No. 1 player in the state (from UMS-Wright), and Rea (just an 8th-grader) fell 6-7, 6-4 (7-10) to a senior from St. Paul's.
Russellville's No. 5 player, Jacob Hill, won his first-round match against Auburn 6-3, 6-3 before losing to St. Paul's.
Carson Hutchins advanced to the semifinals for Russellville at No. 6 singles before losing 5-6, 3-6.
Russellville's doubles teams of Drake and Hill, Rea and Hardin, and Malone and Hutchins also each advanced to the tournament semifinals.
In other recent local action:
Baseball
Red Bay 10 Holy Spirit 5
Brandon Brown struck out eight in a complete game on Saturday as the Tigers won game one of a doubleheader.
Brown (3-2) allowed six hits and one walk in seven innings.
He was also 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Morgan Stanfield and Nicholas Taylor each drove in two runs, and Derrick Miller was 2-for-2.
Holy Spirit 16 Red Bay 8
Nicholas Taylor had three RBIs for the Tigers (9-4) in Saturday's second game.
Brandon Brown was 2-for-3, and Dillon Massey drove in two runs. Cody Armstrong and Derrick Miller each had a hit.
Softball
Red Bay 3 Belmont (Miss.) 1
Ashley Hardin homered to back up a strong pitching performance by Brittany Scott as Red Bay (7-2) won on Friday.
Alyssa Horton had a double for Red Bay, and Jill Williams and Laura Garrison each scored a run.
