Houston, we have a problem

By Staff
Jason Cannon &Rebecca James
Franklin County Times
Jacob Daniel hustled out an RBI infield hit in the bottom of the eighth to give Russellville a 4-3 win over Gardendale Saturday afternoon – the team's 40th win of the season and their ticket to the state quarter-finals later this week.
In a stark contrast to Friday night's slug fest, Saturday afternoon's game was a pitching and defensive struggle until the sixth inning.
A single by Torey Baird in the top of the sixth cracked a no-hitter from the Rocket's Burnon Moman and Jake Ward's RBI single finally broke a 0-0 tie.
Cory Trapp kept the scoring going with an RBI single, bringing in Caleb Mitchell. Gardendale rallied in the top of the seventh, tying the score, 2-2.
In what had become a familiar scene, the Rockets took a 3-2 lead on their third successful suicide squeeze in three games in the top of the eighth but Russellville shut the doors in the bottom of the inning.
Cory Flanagan drove in Caleb Mitchell for the the tie and Daniel followed with the game winner.
Russellville will face Etowah in the quarter-finals beginning next Friday.
Game 1 (Friday) – GHS-5, RHS 0
Gardendale struck first in the first inning when a run by Cameron Brewer put the Rockets ahead, 1-0.
In the third inning, Brewer scored again to bring the score to 2-0. They continued their domination of the Golden Tigers when they posted two more runs. Gardendale put the final nails in the coffin with two more scores, one at the top of the six, and the other at the top of the seventh to seal their victory.
Jake Ward, Corey Flanagan and Cory Trapp each had one hit a piece for the Golden Tigers.
Game 2 (Friday) – RHS 8, GHS 5
It took nearly five hours but the Russellville bats woke up Friday night, just in the nick of time.
Russellville, shut out in game one, went into the sixth inning of game two trailing 5-1. Cory Trapp woke the sleeping giant with a two RBI double, scoring Caleb Mitchell and Jake Ward.
Trapp's hit got the fans on their feet for the first time Friday and Torey Baird's two run homer a few batters later kept them there.
Russellville went into the top of the seventh with the score tied at five runs each but Jake Ward put the final and winning runs on the board with a three run homerun to seal the win.
Cory Trapp got the complete game win.