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By Carey Reeder | Managing Editor

Chilton County area high school baseball teams are getting down to the knitty gritty of their schedules with just a handful of games remaining. As rain washed out some play during the week of April 5-11, some crucial area games for playoff aspirations were held to give a clearer picture of the postseason landscape.

Maplesville High School

Maplesville High School locked up a playoff spot in the AHSAA Class 1A state playoffs with two Area 6 wins during the week. The first, a 9-2 triumph over Verbena High School, clinched a playoff spot for Maplesville earning the season sweep over them and Autaugaville High School. The Red Devils outhit Verbena 13-4, and six of the nine hitters had multiple base hits. Pearce Yeargan had three RBIs to lead the team, and Jacob Coats and Truett Smith each contributed 2 RBIs. Bradlee Padgett was solid on the bump for Maplesville, throwing a complete game with four hits, two runs and eight strikeouts.

Padgett was also an important piece to the Red Devils’ 3-2 win over Billingsley High School on April 9. His RBI single in the seventh inning walked it off for Maplesville who clinched the area championship with the win. Aiden Abbott was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI, and Coats threw a complete game with seven hits, two runs (one earned) and four strikeouts.

Thorsby High School

After dropping an AHSAA Class 2A Area 6 game to Reeltown High School on April 4 at home, Thorsby High School needed something from the doubleheader at Reeltown the next day. Aiden Seeley took the mound and tossed a gem for the Rebels going eight innings with two hits, no runs, no walks and seven strikeouts to lead them to a 1-0 win. The game was scoreless through seven innings, and Manuel Castillo got on base with a walk to start the eighth inning before advancing to second base on an error.

Christopher Buendtner followed and laid down a bunt that forced a throwing error by the Reeltown catcher, and Castillo came in to score the game’s first and only run. Seeley got the side in order in the bottom half to end the game, and Thorsby took game one of the doubleheader without a hit. Reeltown took game two 5-1, and Seeley was 3-for-3 with a double.

Thorsby got two wins over B.B. Comer High School to end its week as rain took down a few games for the Rebels on April 9 and 11. Thorsby won 11-3 on April 6 posting 14 hits as a team, and J.T. Green and Collier Price were both 3-for-5 with Green adding two RBIs to his totals. Nate Thomas had a three-RBI triple to boost Buendtner in his start that yielded him six strikeouts.

The Rebels won 17-2 over Comer on April 8 in three innings. Price was 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs, and Seeley and Buendtner had two RBIs each.

Chilton County High School

Chilton County High School got a game in on April 5 at Hueytown High School after a few rainouts, and took the win 8-7. The Tigers erupted for seven runs in the sixth inning to take an 8-4 lead and held on with 12 hits as a team. Brody Pierce and Cohen Ellison were each 3-for-4 with an RBI, and Pierce had a double. Colten Brock added two RBIs.

CCHS made it two wins in a row on April 6 taking down Elmore County High School 2-1 the following day with just two hits. A Cohen Ellison RBI single in the second inning and a second run sneaking in during a rundown was enough for the win. The Tigers were powered on the mound by Brayden Mims, Ethan Benson and Logan Coppedge combining to throw seven innings with six hits, one run, one walk and five strikeouts.

The week’s action finished for CCHS on April 8 dropping an AHSAA Class 6A Area 5 game to Helena High School 11-5, knocking the Tigers out of postseason contention. Pierce and Terrell were both 2-for-3 with Pierce recording a double and Terrell an RBI. Josh Parker, Brock and Ellison each had an RBI.

Billingsley High School

Billingsley High School picked up two wins at West Blocton High School on April 6, starting with an 8-5 win over the host school. The Bears outhit them 14-6 with seven of the nine batters recording a hit, and six of them recording an RBI. Brady Caver and Eli Manning were both 3-for-5 with Manning adding two RBIs to his totals. Landon Jones contributed two doubles, and he combined with Manning on the mound for 10 strikeouts.

Billingsley’s second win of the day came over Pleasant Grove High School 4-1 with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with the game tied at one run behind RBI singles from Caleb Chandler and Brady Nichols. Nichols had three RBIs. Kyle Boice, Mason Truesdale and Tanner Truesdale combined to throw seven innings with three hits, one unearned run and 16 strikeouts.

In Billingsley’s 3-2 loss to Maplesville on April 9, the Bears were walked off in the final inning. Mason Truesdale was 2-for-4 with a double, Nathan Gilmore was 2-for-3 and Hunter Wyatt and Manning each had an RBI.

Jemison High School

Jemison High School broke a losing skid on April 8 knocking off Prattville Christian Academy 3-2. Hunter Scott shined on the mound and in the batter’s box for the Panthers, starting by pitching a complete game with eight hits, two runs and five strikeouts. Scott also plated the game’s winning run with an RBI single in the fifth inning. Carter Domino, Cooper Smitherman, King Swindle and Trent Gaines all picked up singles in the win.

The Panthers were tripped up by Shelby County High School on April 11, 13-3. Scott was 2-for-3 with a double and RBI, Gaines was 2-for-3 and Smitherman knocked a triple.

Verbena High School

Verbena High School lost to Maplesville High School on April 5, 9-2. Lance Edwards and Jaxson Kelley each had doubles, and Ethan Hand and Hayden Wilson each had an RBI.

The Red Devils got back to winning ways on April 8 taking down Central of Coosa County High School 19-3 in four innings. Seven of the nine starting batters for Verbena recorded a hit, and Jackson Brothers, Edwards and Hand each had three RBIs. Hand also threw four innings with three hits, three runs and seven strikeouts.

Isabella High School

Isabella High School had its games with Thorsby High School on April 9 and 11 canceled due to rain.