Hackleburg sweeps Vina to win area

By Bart Moss for the FCT

For Vina to win their area outright, they had to win last week’s area series with the Hackleburg Panthers. Instead, the Red Devils were swept in two straight games, 8-1 and 12-10. Fielding errors were the Red Devils’ Achilles heel, committing 13 in the two games. Vina finished runner-up in the area and will have to travel in the first-round playoff games next week.

Game One: Hackleburg 8, Vina 1

Fielding errors crushed the Vina Red Devils in their series opening game with the Hackleburg Panthers. Vina committed five errors in the game.

Hackleburg scored two runs in the first, one in the third and four in the fourth to build a 7-0 lead. The Red Devils scored their lone run in the top of the sixth inning, when Blake Hardin scored on a Jacob Lewis single.

Vina managed only four hits in the game by Justin Gravitt, Austin Childers, Chris Brewer and Lewis.

James Barnes took the loss, pitching a complete game allowing five earned runs on five hits, walking three and striking out 13 batters.

Game Two: Hackleburg 12, Vina 10

The Vina bats came alive in game two of their series with Hackleburg. The Red Devils outhit the Panthers 12-10, but eight fielding errors proved costly as Vina lost 12-10 in game two of their series. Only two of the Panthers’ 12 runs were earned.

Vina got a lot of production from the top of the lineup with leadoff batter Justin Gravitt going 2-for-3 scoring three runs. Tyler Renfrow reached base three times, had an RBI and scored a run. Austin Childers had two RBIs. Andrew Upton reached base four times and scored two runs. Austin Harper reached base three times and scored a run. Blake Hardin reached base three times and had an RBI. Chris Brewer went 3-for-4 with an RBI and scored a run.