By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

Despite a tough loss to area foe Sylacauga one week ago, Chilton County High School’s baseball team successfully took to the road to take on the same opponent and pick up two victories, 17-1 and 16-1, while moving back into first place in the area.

Fast forward to Monday night, and the Tigers found themselves two games away from a regular reason area championship.

Facing a struggling Talladega team, CCHS got off to a bumpy start when an opening walk by leadoff man Barrett Hutto would later lead to a one-run lead for the visiting Tigers after an infield error on an infield ground ball by Austin Shifflet.

The Chilton County Tigers would not stay down long, scoring two runs in the bottom half of the first inning after a leadoff double by Cameron Cummings. A Craig Headley single scored Cummings, and a Garren Minor hit would later score Headley, giving the Tigers a 2-1 lead.

Pitcher Tyler Maddox would retire the Talladega batters in order in the top of the second, while Cummings and Maddox would score two more in the home half of the inning, extending Chilton’s lead to three runs.

Maddox and the Tiger defense retired the side in order again in the top half of the third inning, but the Tigers were unable to capitalize with two men on and one out, and the score would remain 4-1 after three innings.

The top of the fourth inning went as the previous two had for Talladega as they were sat down in order for the third straight inning. Meanwhile, the homestanding Tigers added two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth. After a Headley walk, a Trenton Bishop double would score Headley, and a Tyler Crowson single scored Bishop, giving the Tigers a 6-1 lead.

After pitching a no hitter through 4 1/3 innings, Maddox surrendered the first hit of the game to Talladega on a Waylon Lett shot to right field for a single. A Hutto double to center field would later score Lett, drawing Talladega to within five runs of the lead.

Chilton wasn’t yet done at the plate as they would add three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Back-to-back singles by Beau Waid and Maddox gave the Tigers two men on with no outs. A Cummings infield single scored Waid, a Bishop single scored Maddox, and a J.D. Minor single scored Blake Teel who had previously reached base on a walk.

After five innings, Chilton led 9-2.

Talladega started the top of the sixth with a single and double put two on with no outs. A hit batsman would add a third runner, while a second consecutive hit batsmen would push one run across the plate and leave the bases loaded with no outs.

A walk to Lett scored another run for the visiting Tigers and brought Cummings to the mound in relief for Chilton County. Two strikeouts later and a ground ball would end the inning with Chilton still out in front 9-4.

Both teams would exchange scoreless at bats in the bottom half of the sixth for Chilton County, and the top half of the seventh for Talladega that would ultimately finish the game securing the 9-4 victory for the home team.

Maddox pitched five innings for Chilton County with six strikeouts, five hits, one walk and four runs allowed.

Bishop led the way for Chilton County at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two singles, a double and three RBI.

The Tigers are sitting atop their region and will end the regular season this week on the road at Talladega on Wednesday.