Golden Tigers knocked out of playoff chase

By Staff
Slade Gilmer
For the FCT
MUSCLE SHOALS – The Russellville baseball team saw their postseason hopes dashed Tuesday, as they fell to the Muscle Shoals Trojans 12-5 at Gattman Park.
The Trojans used three homers and solid pitching from Dylan Munger to clinch the second, and final, playoff spot in Class 5A, Area 15.
Muscle Shoals got on the board first with a solo home run from catcher Hunter Thomas in the bottom of the second off Golden Tiger starter Ryan Bowling.
Meanwhile, Munger retired the first nine Russellville hitters in order, striking out five in the first three innings.
Muscle Shoals exploded in the bottom of the third, scoring six runs. After Allen Smith grounded out to second, Mitch Mitchell singled. Walks to Mitchell Self and Jordan Green followed to load the bases.
Hunter Craig then reached on an error to score Mitchell. Thomas grounded into a fielder's choice to Russellville third baseman Casey Herring, who threw out Self at home. Cale Choate followed with a single that scored Green and Craig, while courtesy runner Mikey Bailey scored after a misplay in right field.
Brett Guzay then doubled to score Choate, and Collin Bradford singled to drive in Guzay and end the scoring in the third.
Trailing 7-0, the Golden Tigers rallied in the fourth. Second baseman T.J. Lindsey – playing in place of injured Mark Davis, who collided with right fielder Jesse Green in the second inning – led off the inning with an infield single. Munger then hit Jake Ward with a pitch to move Lindsey to second before Nathan Vincent singled to load the bases.
John Batchelor grounded out to drive in Lindsey. After Jesse Green walked to load the bases again, Munger struck out Seth Rhudy. Herring, however, kept the rally going with a double to score Ward and Vincent and cut the Trojan lead to 7-3. Jonas Boyles struck out to end the inning.
The Trojans uses the long ball in the fourth inning to blow the game open. Self singled before Jordan Green smashed a homer to left-center field to give the Trojans a 9-3 lead.
Craig followed with a single and Thomas pounded his second homer of the day to left field to give the Trojans an 11-3 lead and ending Bowling's day. Rhudy came in and shut the Trojans down in relief.
Russellville refused to go away as Matthew Duncan led off the fifth with a triple and scored on a double by Lindsey. Ward drew a walk, Vincent grounded to the shortstop – who could not make a play – allowing Lindsey to score and cut the lead to 11-5. Ward was thrown out as he attempted to steal third, Munger struck out Batchelor and Green flied out to end the threat.
The Trojans added a run in the bottom half of the inning.
That would be all the support Munger would need, as he shut down the Golden Tigers in the sixth and seventh innings to give the Trojans the win and the playoff berth.
Bowling took the loss, going 3 innings and allowing 12 hits and 11 runs – although only five were earned – while walking three and striking out two. Rhudy pitched two innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, while Duncan pitched a perfect sixth inning.
Lindsey led the Golden Tigers with two hits and an RBI, while Herring added a double and two RBIs. Vincent singled and had an RBI while Duncan rounded out the hitting with a triple. Batchelor also added an RBI for Russellville.
With the loss, Russellville was eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2006. Hartselle and Muscle Shoals will represent Class 5A, Area 15 in the playoffs, which begin Friday.