The Red Bay Tigers only had to play one game to win the 2024 Franklin County Championship and end Phil Campbell’s string of seven straight titles. The Tigers broke a 3-3 tie in extra innings to beat the Bobcats 6-3 in the abbreviated tournament.

Because of a rainy Spring Break and area play taking priority near the end of the regular season, only three teams participated in the tournament. Both Belgreen and Vina had to drop out, leaving Red Bay, Phil Campbell and Tharptown and a two-game bracket.

Phil Campbell easily beat Tharptown 22-3 in the lone semifinal game of the tournament before advancing to the finals to play Red Bay.

In the finals, with the game tied 3-3, Red Bay scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning, the first coming on a balk and error by the Bobcats to give Red Bay a 4-3 lead. Then Ayden Pruitt singled in two runs to give the Tigers a 6-3 lead. Red Bay shut down Phil Campbell in the bottom half of the inning to capture the title.

Red Bay opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Dallas Terrell doubled and came around to score on a single by Reed Hamilton. Ty Reynolds, who reached base on a walk, scored on a single by Hunter Strickland to give Red Bay a 2-0 lead.

Phil Campbell scored their first run in the bottom of the first on a single by Cody Quinn, scoring Bentley Hill.

Red Bay increased their lead to 3-1 in the top of the second inning when Terrell scored on an RBI-triple by Reynolds.

Phil Campbell tied the game in the bottom of the bottom half of the inning, getting things started when Isac Hill scored Hunter Motes on a sacrifice fly. The Bobcats tied the game when Eli Taylor scored on fielder’s choice.

The game remained deadlocked in a pitching battle up until the Tigers three-run in extra innings to win the game.

Terrell led the way at the plate for Red Bay with two doubles and two runs scored.

Reynolds got the win for the Tigers pitching the final three innings in relief of Jeramiah Thorne. Reynolds allowed just two hits through three shutout innings and struck out seven.

Hill, Quinn and Chandler Benford had two hits each for the Bobcats.

In the semifinal game, Phil Campbell scored 22 runs on 13 hits and took advantage of five Tharptown errors and nine walks.

Tharptown scored first, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Phil Campbell scored 10 runs in the bottom half of the inning to run away with the game.

Eli Taylor doubled and homered in the game with four RBI and three runs scored to lead the Bobcats at the plate. Koltin Hester hit a grand slam toward the end of the Bobcats 10-run first inning. Cale Faust had three hits, including a double, five RBI and he scored twice.

Hester got the win on the mound for the Bobcats pitching four innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight.

Red Bay sweeps Lexington

The Red Bay Tigers swept Lexington in two games 3-1 and 11-0 to close out area play.  The Tigers finished runner up in Class 2A Area 16. They will travel to Lamar County on Friday to open the playoffs.

In the opening game of the series, Jeramiah Thorne struck out 10 batters to lead Red Bay past Lexington 3-1. Thorne surrendered four hits and one run over seven innings while walking just one.

Lexington got on the board first taking 1-0. Red Bay claimed the lead in the bottom of the third inning on a home run to left field by Ty Reynolds to make the score 2-1.

Red Bay added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI-single by Reynolds scoring Jeramiah Robinson.

In game two, Red Bay shut out the Golden Bears 11-0.  The Tigers scored 11 runs on 12 hits.

Red Bay scored two runs each in the third, fourth, sixth and seventh innings and three runs in the fifth.

The Tigers were hot at the plate five extra base hits which included a home run by Hunter Strickland, two doubles by Reynolds and a double each by Ayden Pruitt and Eli Farris.