Belgreen will make first playoff appearance since 1998
By Bart Moss / For the FCT
The Belgreen Bulldogs baseball program earned its first playoff appearance since 1998 with a two-game sweep of county and area rival Vina last week.
Belgreen will travel to Florence Friday to play Shoals Christian in the first round of the playoffs.
“We have been really trying to build the baseball program,” said Belgreen coach Clint Isbell. “We want it to be as successful as our other sports. We have a lot of kids now that are serious about baseball, and we have a great wave of younger kids coming up.”
BHS seniors, Isbell added, have “put a lot of work in over the years to make this possible. Now they have given these young guys something to be excited about and build on.”
Senior Jacob Mayberry said he wants the run to continue.
“It’s pretty amazing not only for my team but for the school and community,” said Mayberry. “We knew we had a decent chance of making the playoffs, but we wanted to go deeper. We want to win and advance.
“Coach Isbell and Coach Vincent have pushed us to get here, and now we have to show everyone we can make a run.”
Belgreen won both area games in convincing fashion, beating Vina 22-4 and 13-2, jumping out to big first inning leads in both games.
In game one, after Vina took an early 1-0 lead, Belgreen scored eight runs in the bottom of the first inning. Mayberry scored the first Belgreen run on a single by Mason Donohoe to tie the game. Jake Taylor singled in Seth Taylor to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. Donohoe and Jake Taylor scored on bunt and fielding error to give Belgreen a 4-1 lead.
Later in the inning Payton Scott, Kostner Bryant, Koby Collins and Jacob Mayberry all scored to give the Bulldogs a commanding 8-1 lead.
Vina scored two runs in the top of the second to cut the lead to 8-3. Belgreen got one of those runs back in the second inning to extend their lead to 9-3. The Bulldogs got two runs in the third and exploded for 11 runs in the fourth to blow away the Red Devils.
Mayberry went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and scored four runs to lead Belgreen.
Donohoe went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and scored two runs. Scott went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and scored three runs. Jake Taylor scored four runs and had two RBIs.
Seth Taylor scored three runs, and Bryant had two runs. Gavin Taylor had two RBIs.
In game two, the Bulldogs duplicated their game one efforts, scoring eight runs in the first inning to effectively put the game away.
Mayberry, Seth Taylor, Donohoe, Jake Taylor, Scott, Gavin Taylor, and Bryant all touched home plate in the first inning – Mayberry twice.
Belgreen scored another run in the second inning, two in the fourth and two in the fifth.
Jake Taylor roped two doubles, scored a run and had an RBI. Gavin Taylor also doubled and had two RBIs.
Seth Taylor and Mason Donohoe each had two RBIs.
