By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

With the season winding down and area playoff races heating up, the Chilton County Tigers find themselves in a two-team race for first place in their area.

The Tigers faced off Tuesday night against the team that is tied with them for first place in their area, the Sylacauga Aggies.

CCHS got out to an early 1-0 lead that held up through four innings, but the Aggie bats proved to be just enough to propel the visitors past the Tigers 3-2 and into first place in the area.

The Chilton defense, behind the pitching of Cameron Cummings, shut down the Aggies to start the game. Meanwhile, the Tiger bats gave their pitcher a one-run cushion on a Trenton Bishop single that scored Blake Teel.

Both teams managed little offense through the second inning.

The Aggies had their best chance at getting on the scoreboard in the top half of the third inning. With runners on first and second with two outs, a shot to left field would be hauled in by Evan Moatts, ending the inning and maintaining the Tigers’ one-run lead.

A Blake Teel double to start the home half of the third inning looked promising in adding another run for the home team, but even though Teel managed to reach third base, the Tigers could not find a way to push him across the plate.

A Will Green double with one out put the tying run on second for Sylacauga, and a single by Keith Robertson would tie the game at one apiece.

Pitcher Allen Wilson and the Aggie defense continued to plague the Tigers through the fourth inning, closing out the home half of the inning and leaving the game in a 1-all tie.

The Aggie bats turned it up a notch to start the top half of the fifth inning, with Austin Masters leading off the inning with a single. A Hunter Jones double to left-centerfield scored Masters, breaking the tie in favor of the Aggies.

A second consecutive double, this time by Brooks Jackson, scored Johns to give the Aggies a 3-1 lead.

A Teel single gave the Tigers a good start to the bottom half of the fifth inning, while the Tigers followed up with a Craig Headley single and a Beau Waid single, giving the home team three men on with one out.

A sacrifice fly by Garret Deavers to left field scored Teel, drawing the Tigers to within one run of the lead, but an infield single would end the inning, making the score 3-2 in favor of the Aggies.

The Aggies threatened to score again in the top half of the sixth inning by opening the inning with a Green double, but the Tiger defense stepped up, getting three straight outs to close out the inning.

The Tigers managed to get two men on with two outs in the bottom half of the sixth but were unable to capitalize, remaining down one run.

An infield ground ball and two strikeouts by Cummings ended the inning for the Aggies and brought the Tigers to the plate down one.

Trenton Bishop gave the Tigers hope by leading off the inning with a single, but an infield grounder to the shortstop by Beau Waid would get the force out on Bishop at second, giving the Tigers their first out of the inning.

The Aggies would pull off the double play on a Deavers ground ball to the shortstop, securing the 3-2 victory and moving the Aggies into first place in the area.

Cummings pitched a complete game and recorded seven strikeouts while allowing eight hits, one walk and three runs. Teel led the Tigers at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two singles and a double.