Billingsley swept Wadley in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs on Saturday by scores of 7-6 and 12-2.

In Game 1, Thomas Nichols and the Bear defense retired the Bulldogs in order to start the first inning of the game, and added a run of their own in the bottom of the first after Nichols led off with a single and was driven in on a Snow single up the middle.

Four errors by the Bears in the top half of the second inning led to six Wadley runs and put the Bears in a hole, 6-1. The Bears would go in order in the bottom of the second and remain down five runs.

Both teams exchanged scoreless at-bats in the third, and the Bears again retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the fourth inning.

Billingsley began to chip away in the bottom of the fourth, when Justin Snow reached on an infield error and was later driven in on a Prebula single to right field, drawing the Bears to within four.

After giving up six runs to the Bulldogs in the top of the second inning, Nichols and the Bear defense shut down Wadley the rest of the way while continuing to chip away at the Bulldogs lead.

The Bears added one run in the top of the fifth when Nichols reached on a single to left field and was driven in on a Dalton Acreman shot to right field, making the score 6-3 after five.

Snow started things off with a single in the top of the sixth and was driven in by a Prebula double to right field, making the Bulldog lead two runs after six innings.

Down two runs in the bottom of the seventh, Tyler Powell led off the inning for the Bears with a single to right field, to be followed by a Nichols walk.

A Willis sacrifice fly to center field scored Powell, making the lead one with two outs.

A Snow single scored Nichols and tied the game at 6-all with two outs for the Bears.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Kendall Elrod sent a shot to shallow left-center field, sending Snow across home plate and giving the Bears the win.

Nichols pitched a complete game for the Bears with nine strikeouts, five hits and three walks. Nichols and Powell led the way for the Bears, each going 3-for-3 with Nichols recording two singles and a double, and Powell swinging for three singles.

In Game 2, the Billingsley bats erupted in the second inning and nine runners scored. Dalton Acreman and Prebula each had two hits and two RBI.

Snow, Garrett Price, Elrod, Tyler Powell, Dylan Chavers and Garrett Harrell added hits during the game en route to invoking the mercy rule after five innings.

Price was the winning pitcher, giving up four hits and striking out eight batters in five innings of work.

Billingsley will host Maplesville in the second play round on Friday with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. If necessary, a third game will be played on Saturday at noon.