The ACA baseball team enjoyed a trip to the beach for spring break as they competed in a tournament in Gulf Shores. The Eagles finished 2-2 on the week with wins over McAlester (OK) and Madison County and losses to Gallatin (TN) and Summit (TN).
Isaac Warrick opened the tournament with an impressive outing in a 5-1 defeat of McAlester (OK). The senior lefty limited the Buffalos to four hits over seven innings with a season high 13 strikeouts. The Eagles opened the scoring in the second frame as Warrick tripled after a Trey Schlemmer single and scored on an infield error for a 2-0 lead. Preston Hicks helped tack on a third run as he hit a 1-0 pitch to center field for a double that scored Thomas Stovall in the next inning. ACA scored its last two runs of the game in the fourth inning as Landon Nelson and JT Moorer hit back-to-back, one-out singles and were driven in as Hayes Hunt tripled to right for a 5-1 advantage. Warrick closed the door from there as only four McAlester batters reached safely over the last four innings of the contest. Thomas Stovall led the offense with two hits while Hayes Hunt led the team with two RBIs.
The Eagles dropped game two of the day as Gallatin (TN) scored two runs in the seventh for a 6-4 win over ACA. The contest was riddled with errors as both teams combined for 12 miscues and only three of the ten runs scored in the game against the pitchers were earned. Alabama Christian struck first with two runs in the first as Thomas Stovall led off the game with a single followed by Hayes Hunt reaching on an infield error. An errant throw from the pitcher trying to pick off Hunt at first scored Stovall and moved him to third where he scored on an RBI ground out from Preston Hicks. Gallatin scored in the second to cut the lead in half, 2-1. The Eagles got it back in the bottom half as JT Moorer singled with two outs and later scored as he moved to second on a passed ball, to third on a wild pitch and finally home on an infield error. Gallatin scored one in the third and two in the fifth to take a 4-3 lead, but ACA tied it on a Trey Schlemmer double that scored Preston Hicks. Hunter Barfoot relieved Hayes Hunt in the seventh as the starter had reached his pitch limit after six innings. The Green Wave scored two runs in the seventh without recording a hit to take a 6-4 lead and the Eagles could not respond in their last at-bat for the two-run loss. The middle of the lineup (Preston Hicks, Trey Schlemmer and Isaac Warrick) led the offense with a combined 6 for 9 effort with two RBIs. Hayes Hunt pitched six innings and allowed no earned runs with six strikeouts. Hunter Barfoot was charged with the loss in relief.
After being rained out on Tuesday, ACA played Wednesday evening against Madison County. The Eagles were victorious 12-0 in the five-inning run-rule contest. Senior JT Moorer looked sharp as he held the Tigers to three hits with nine strikeouts in a complete-game effort. Hayes Hunt and Preston Hicks led the offense with two hits apiece. Four Eagles (Hunt, Hicks, Trey Schlemmer and Carson Horn) drove in at least two runs as Alabama Christian reached double digits for the third time on the year. The Eagles loaded the bases on walks in the first inning, but consecutive strikeouts kept the good guys off the board. In the second, ACA loaded the bases via the base on balls again and took advantage as they scored four runs in the frame. Thomas Stovall drew the fourth walk to drive in the first run while Trey Schlemmer hit a sac fly for the fourth run. In between, Preston Hicks delivered a two-run double that scored Landon Nelson and Moorer. Run producing singles by Moorer and Hayes Hunt extended the lead to 6-0 in the third inning. The Eagles blew the game open in the fifth as they scored six times for a twelve-run cushion. After the first two batters were retired, eight straight batters reached safely with five hits, two walks and a hit batter.
The Eagles finished the week with a Thursday afternoon matchup against Summit (TN). The two teams played an exciting back and forth game with the Spartans coming out on top 5-4 as they scored two runs in the sixth. Landon Nelson got the start and pitched well as Summit scored an unearned run in the first and added two more in the second for an early 3-0 lead. The bats were silent for ACA as the team managed just one hit through the first three innings and scored a run in the fourth without the benefit of a hit. In the bottom of the fifth, Hayes Hunt started a rally with a single followed by a rare walk for Preston Hicks. Trey Schlemmer gave his team the lead with one swing of the bat as he sent a two-strike pitch over the left field wall for a 4-3 lead. Summit regained the lead in their next at-bat as the game-winning run scored on a balk for a 5-4 advantage. ACA went 1-2-3 in the bottom half and the victory belonged to the Spartans. Schlemmer led the offense with his three-run blast and Isaac Warrick reached base in all three plate appearances with a single and two walks. Landon Nelson pitched five innings with nine strikeouts in a nice effort for the team.