The Maplesville Red Devils advanced in the state baseball playoffs with a first round sweep of Verbena on April 20.

Maplesville finished on the winning end of a pitching duel with a 2-0 victory in Game 1.

Caleb Hobbs started for MHS and pitched a complete game shutout that included 10 strikeouts and four hits surrendered.

Austin Barber took the mound for Verbena and put on a showcase as well by giving up just two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks.

Both of Maplesville’s runs came in the second inning courtesy of a two-run single to left field by Gage Mims that scored Troy McMillan and Jacob Hollis.

In Game 2, Maplesville exploded for 11 runs in the fourth inning and won 13-0 in five innings.

Jackson Abbott pitched all five innings for Maplesville and allowed no runs on four hits with a handful of strikeouts and one walk.

Ten different Maplesville batters reached base in Game 2, led by Christin Brown who went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run to center field in the fifth inning. He finished with four RBIs.

Abbott and Cole Gray each went 2-for-3 at the plate. Gray showed off his speed on the base paths with a triple and a double.

McMillan drove in three runs in the contest, while Ashton Hobbs showed patience at the plate with a trio of walks.

Maplesville will host Sweet Water in the second round beginning April 25 at 1 p.m. with Game 2 to follow.