The curtain closed on Baldwin County's baseball season Friday night, with Gulf Shores standing as the county's final team alive in the state playoffs before its postseason run came to an end in the 6A quarterfinals.

Now, the spotlight shifts to prep softball as a packed week of regional action gets underway across south Alabama.

BASEBALL SEASON ENDS

Hosting the three-game series at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, the Dolphins battled with perennial power Spain Park but ultimately fell two games to one in the Elite Eight round. Spain Park claimed the opener 3-1 before Gulf Shores answered in Game 2 with a 2-1 victory to force a decisive third game. The Dolphins' season then ended in Game 3, as Spain Park pulled away for a 13-0 win.

Senior John Luke Stephens left it all out on the diamond with his performance in the series, going 3-for-8 at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a home run. The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College signee also tossed a complete game on the mound in the Dolphins' 3-1 loss in Game 1.

Gulf Shores closes the season at 27-14, but not before putting together one of the program's most memorable runs in recent history. After opening the year 3-7, the Dolphins responded with a remarkable 24-7 stretch to reach the Elite Eight for the first time in 23 years.

SOFTBALL REGIONALS

The South Regionals will take place May 11-14 at the Gulf Shores Sportsplex, with several Baldwin County programs set to battle for spots in the state tournament.

In the 7A South Regional, Area 2 champion Fairhope opens against Dothan, while Daphne faces Enterprise. Host Gulf Shores begins 6A regional play against Pike Road, while Spanish Fort will square off with Rehobeth in another opening-round matchup.

5A Area 1 champion Elberta will take on Headland. And over in 4A, defending powerhouse Orange Beach opens regional play against Opp as the Makos begin another push toward state championship contention.

The top two finishers from each of the four regional tournaments statewide will advance to the state championships in Oxford, where teams will compete for a Blue Map from May 18-22.

All stats and records are aggregated from MaxPreps and the GameChanger app. Any additional information is from coaches or verified social media posts. If there are details regarding stats or records that are incorrect, reach out to sports@gulfcoastmedia.com with correct information.