RHS splits opening games on diamond
By Brannon King for the FCT
The Russellville High School varsity baseball team began its quest for a third-straight Class 5A state championship by opening the season with a trip to Oxford to take on the Yellow Jackets and the Russell County Warriors. Russellville came away with a split of the two games at Choccolocco Park Feb. 20.
The Golden Tigers took the field under Head Coach Chris Heaps against 6A Russell County and came away with a 1-0 victory behind a strong performance from starting pitcher and Auburn signee Cody Greenhill. The senior right-hander threw five innings of shutout ball and struck out eight batters while giving up five hits and no walks to get the win. Skylar Holland came on in relief and pitched two perfect innings to pick up the Save. Holland recorded three strike-outs on the mound for RHS.
Russellville got on the board in the second inning when Rudy Fernandez drove in Devin Buckhalter, who had entered the game as a courtesy runner. The Golden Tigers got four hits in the game, one each by Judd Ward, Houston Kitterman, Holland and Fernandez. RHS showed good discipline at the plate by drawing a large number of walks in the game.
Russell County’s Robert Miles and Logan Austin led the team with two hits each, and Hunter Milam took the loss on the mound for the Warriors, going 5 2/3 innings.
In game two of the day for Russellville, the Golden Tigers dropped a 4-2 decision to the home team, the Oxford Yellow Jackets. Russellville fell behind in the bottom of the first inning, 2-0, before evening the score with single runs in the third and fifth innings. However, the tie was short-lived as the 6A Yellow Jackets picked up a couple of runs in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead for the final time.
Brody Syer went the distance on the mound for OHS to pick up the win. He allowed four hits over seven innings and struck out two batters.
Chad Wray started the game for Russellville and worked four innings, giving up two hits and four walks while striking out five Yellow Jackets. Skylar Holland pitched one inning for Russellville and took the loss. Jaret Ward worked one scoreless inning of relief for RHS.
Noah Gist led the way at the plate for Russellville by going two for three with a double and one RBI. Judd Ward and Landon Ezzell also picked up one single each. Ezzell picked up an RBI in the game, and Buckhalter scored the two Russellville runs. Russ Carpenter and Buckhalter both reached base on a walk.
The Golden Tigers return to action Feb. 25 with a double header at Madison Academy before opening up the home schedule with a game against Randolph School Feb. 28 at RHS.
