Golden Tigers head into baseball playoffs out of successful week
The Russellville Golden Tigers celebrated senior night Monday with a 5-1 varsity baseball win over the Brooks Lions. Six seniors were honored with their parents before the game, which wrapped up the 2021 regular season.
Russellville (32-5) is ranked atop the Class 5A standings and will host Boaz in a play-off three-game series scheduled to begin Friday.
The Golden Tigers jumped out to a 4-0 first inning lead against Brooks with the aid of a two-run home run by senior Cole Barnett.
Fellow senior Gordon White got the start on the mound and the win. White pitched three innings, allowing three hits and a run. Another senior, Rowe Gallagher, followed with three innings of relief before Ethan Oliver finished up the victory.
Canyon Pace had two hits and two RBIs to help the RHS cause. Jackson Lindsey, Reed Hill, Casen Heaps and JD Bishop also hit safely.
“I thought we had a really good senior day today,” said Russellville head coach Chris Heaps. “I’m very thankful for the parents and very thankful for these seniors, and I’m going to miss these guys.
“We’ve got some work to do still, and I hope we get to make a deep run in the playoffs. Our goal is Montgomery, and I believe we are the only team that can really stop us from getting there.”
Russellville 3, Haleyville 1
The Golden Tigers hosted the Lions April 13 and got the win. Barnett and Heaps had two hits each, including doubles. Heaps, Hill and Nick Smith had the Russellville RBIs. Grayson Thorpe and Ethan Oliver added Russellville singles.
RHS used four pitchers in the contest, with Emitt Green getting the start. Gallagher followed before White got the win, and Samuel Pace picked up the save. Pace struck out five batters during two innings of work.
Russellville 5, Loretto (Tenn.) 0
The Golden Tigers extended their winning streak to 17-straight with a win over the Mustangs April 15.
Three RHS pitchers combined for the shutout: Gallagher got the start and the win by going four innings and allowing two hits while striking out three; Hill followed with an inning of relief; and Oliver pitched the game’s final two innings for the save.
Eli Gipson and Banks Langston had doubles for Russellville. Barnett had a two-RBI single, while Smith and Heaps also plated runs during a big fifth-inning. Lindsey had two hits during the victory, and the duo of Gipson and Oliver had one hit each.
Helena 5, Russellville 2
The Russellville win streak came to an end at Helena April 16. The five RHS losses during the 2021 regular season have all been versus larger schools ranked in the top 10 of their respective classifications: Class 7A No. 4 Florence, 7A No. 6 James Clemens, 6A No. 3 Helena, 6A No. 4 Cullman and 6A No. 5 Hartselle.
Smith homered in the game against the Huskies. Lindsey and Hill added doubles, and Canyon Pace had a hit and an RBI.
Green got the start on the mound. Samuel Pace and Reed Hill followed and combined for four innings of scoreless relief.
Russellville baseball celebrated its senior players as the season winds down. Senior Golden Tigers are Cole Barnett, Jackson Lindsey, Rowe Gallagher, Gordon White, Nick Smith and JD Bishop.
