The Class 5A defending champion Russellville varsity baseball team recently hit the road for south Alabama to face tough competition from a couple of talented Class 6A, Area 1, teams.

First the Golden Tigers went to Saraland High School Feb. 25 to take on the Spartans. Bryson Goff was almost unhittable on the mound for Saraland, pitching a complete game one-hitter on the way to a 6-1 win.

He struck out 12 RHS batters over seven innings of work with 116 pitches.

Russellville’s only hit came from catcher Canyon Pace on a home run.

Emitt Green got the start on the mound for the Golden Tigers. He went 2.1 innings before Logan White came on in relief. White allowed no runs. Brayden Heaps worked the game’s final three innings.

Saturday’s schedule featured a double-header between two defending state champions that have faced each other on three occasions in Montgomery for the 5A state championship – in 2016, 2017 and 2018. RHS took two of those three blue maps.

Mobile was the site this time for Russellville and the Faith Academy Rams in a regular-season battle.

In game one, Faith got the win by an 11-7 final score.

Eli Gipson, Andrew Hatton and Pace all had two hits each for Russellville. Hatton and Pace both doubled and had two RBIs apiece. Ethan Oliver and Shayden Romans singled and drove-in runs, and they were joined in the hit column by Grayson Thorpe and Reed Hill.

Banks Langston, Logan White and Hill did the pitching for RHS.

The Golden Tigers improved their record on the season to 2-2 with a 7-5 victory over the Rams in game two. Samuel Pace got the start for RHS and went four innings and struck out five batters.

Brayden Spurgeon finished up the win by going three innings. Spurgeon allowed one hit and no runs while also striking out five.

Karson Hyde, Canyon Pace and Gipson each had two hits. Hyde and Gipson picked up two RBIs each, and Samuel Pace doubled and drove home a run.

Romans and Nathan Brockway had a hit each and RBIs, while Thorpe, Casen Heaps and Oliver also hit safely during the contest.