Not much softball action unfolded during spring break week across Baldwin County, but baseball filled the schedule with a full slate of area matchups that stretched throughout the week and set the tone for the final push of the regular season.
This item is available in full to subscribers.
Please log in to continue |
Not much softball action unfolded during spring break week across Baldwin County, but baseball filled the schedule with a full slate of area matchups that stretched throughout the week and set the tone for the final push of the regular season.
Several programs clinched playoff spots along the way.
In no particular order, here's a look at some of the Baldwin County baseball teams that secured postseason berths during a busy week of play on the diamond.
PLAYOFF TEAMS & AREA CHAMPS
Bayshore Christian claimed the 2A Section 1 and locked in its 2A playoff spot with a sweep of St. Luke's. The Eagles took down their area rival by a combined three runs in the two games, ending area play with a 10-1 record. Bayshore is also on a seven-game win streak and has won 13 of the past 15 games.
Not too far down the highway, both Fairhope and Daphne clinched playoff spots as well with sweeps over county rivals. The Pirates swept Robertsdale, and the Trojans did the same with Foley. The two programs will meet in a common 7A Area 2 title series this week.
Down on the beach, Orange Beach completed a series win over Bayside on Friday, dropping the first game in the doubleheader before completing the 2-1 series win in run-rule fashion. The Makos also claimed the 4A Area 1 title with the victory over the Admirals.
Gulf Shores baseball handled its week very similarly, sweeping area rival McGill after dropping a game to UMS-Wright to start the week. The pair of two-run victories over the Yellow Jackets clinched the 6A Area 2 title for the Dolphins, putting them back into the playoffs in 2026.
Outside of the area champs and baseball programs hosting a playoff series later this week, both Bayside (4A) and Elberta (5A) have clinched postseason berths as runners-up of their areas.
Although softball was fairly quiet this past week, let's take a look at the area champions around the county thus far.
In 7A Area 2, the Lady Pirates have already claimed the title over Daphne and Robertsdale.
In 4A Area 1, the nation's top-ranked softball team Orange Beach has already swept area play.
This week, both Elberta and Spanish Fort will have opportunities to claim area titles. The Lady Warriors are 3-0 in area play and will face UMS-Wright for the title, while the Lady Toros look to get a win over Baldwin County to beat Gulf Shores out for the crown.
STANDOUT PERFORMANCES
In a short 3-1 week for Daphne, Colin Watson led the way in the leadoff spot at the dish, going an even 3-for-6 with a pair of RBIs and a double. In the series-clinching 14-1 victory over Foley, Ryan Parent delivered a standout performance of his own, going 3-for-4 at the plate while also tossing a complete game on the mound with seven strikeouts.
For area rival Fairhope, the Pirates were led by a handful of names at the plate throughout the week, including Ethan Robertson, Declan King and Charlie Patterson. However, much of the impact came on the mound, starting with Ollie Langley's Game 1 complete-game shutout in a win over Robertsdale, followed by Alex Herington and Danny Lumpkin combining for eight strikeouts and just two earned runs to clinch the series in the next game.
Casen Whiteside led Bayshore Christian in a 2-0 week that clinched the area title. The middle infielder went 3-for-6 at the dish with three RBIs and a pair of doubles in the wins over St. Luke's. He also earned the win in relief in the Eagles' 5-3 win to clinch the series, pitching four frames with three punchouts and no earned runs allowed.
John Luke Stephens had one of the best weeks of anyone in the county, going 6-for-11 with four RBIs, one double and a home run in a 2-1 week for Gulf Shores baseball. He also pitched seven innings with 12 strikeouts and just one earned run allowed in a 10-inning game against McGill.
Ben Pugh went 5-for-9 with three RBIs, including a pair of doubles and a triple, in a split 2-2 week for the Makos. He also tossed 5.2 total innings in relief with six strikeouts and just two earned runs allowed. Senior teammate Matthew Hoover had one of the best starts on the mound in the past week as well, going six innings with six punchouts in a 7-5 win over Bayside.
Outside of the area champion programs, St. Michael Catholic had a successful 2-1 week led by Evan Brewer in the leadoff spot. He went 7-for-12 for the Cardinals with two RBIs and also tossed 2.2 innings in relief with four punchouts.
For Bayside, catcher Noah Cain led the way at the plate, going 5-for-10 with a double in the series against Orange Beach. Grady Stokes got the lone win for the Admirals on the mound, tossing 2.1 innings in relief against the Makos with a pair of punchouts and just two earned runs.
Only two softball program in the county to played multiple games last week and one was Gulf Shores. The Dolphins went 2-1 at the Pace (Fla.) tournament. Nevaeh James led the way at the plate, going 6-for-12 with two RBIs and a home run, while Anna Leigh Price tossed a complete-game shutout in the circle in a win over Viera that included 11 strikeouts.
St. Michael was the other softball program on the diamond last week, going 1-2. Aryia Blackmon led the way at the plate for the Cardinals with a 6-for-10 week with five RBIs and a pair of doubles while Addison Pratt tossed 17 total innings in the circle with 23 strikeouts.
All stats and records are aggregated from MaxPreps and the GameChanger app. Any additional information is from coaches or from verified social media posts. If there are details regarding stats or records that are incorrect, reach out to sports@gulfcoastmedia.com with correct information.
