VINEMONT — Hanceville received Vinemont’s best shot but used a big first inning and reliable pitching efforts from Hayden Loggins and Isaac Hardin to win a close area contest 5-3 Tuesday at Mike Cupp Field.

The Class 3A No. 4 Bulldogs scored all their runs in the first two frames. Hardin and Branen Hurst pushed four across in the opening inning with respective two-run doubles, and Loggins drove in Weissend from second after a one-out double the ensuing inning.

Hanceville’s hit total through the first two innings? Six.

As for the other five? Just three.

Coach Michael Chandler was glad it was enough to beat a youthful Vinemont squad that easily put together its best performance of the spring.

“I was very happy with the way we started the game, but we’ve got to finish,” he said. “Vinemont played good, though. They were throwing strikes. We just couldn’t get timely hits.”

Weissend was the man for contact, and Hurst provided the power at the plate. The former went 3 for 4 with two of those hits in the decisive stretch, while the latter stroked doubles in half of his four at-bats.

Christian James, Loggins and Austin Coker added singles for the visiting Purple and Gold.

“It’s real important,” Weissend said of striking quick. “We try to get an early lead so that way we can stay on top and just play defense.”

Loggins recorded the decision after setting down seven batters on strikes and giving up six hits and two walks in a six-inning start. Hardin picked up the save with a punchout and walk in the seventh.

Loggins wasn’t wasn’t always at his sharpest but knew he could count on his defense to get him through the outing.

“Pretty much all I was doing was just trying to throw strikes, trying to locate and let my D do their job,” he said.

Vinemont’s Luke Burch had never hit a home run in a game or even at practice until leading off the second inning with a booming solo shot to right center field. The lefty also sparked a scoring opportunity with a double in the fourth, but it had nothing on the first long shot of his prep career.

Burch sounded a bit like Tony the Tiger while reflecting on his bomb, cracking up his teammates with an initial one-word answer of “great” before expanding on the special sequence.

“I didn’t really think I hit it over until I saw all of them walking out of here,” the junior said. “All the adrenaline hit me at one. It was a good feeling.”

Corbin Barnett knocked in Burch with a single for Vinemont’s second run, and Derrick Ransom rounded out the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Barnett finished 2 for 3. Justin Hoffman and Takota Millwood both contributed singles.

“We hit the ball very well, put the ball in play,” first-year coach Jason Veres said. “Just hit it right at somebody. Eventually that’ll start falling.”

Dustin McGraw buckled down on the mound after the shaky first inning, fanning five batters and yielding a walk and a bean ball in his latest complete game.

“It was a little nerve-racking for him,” Veres said. “He’s a 10th-grader, so he’s young. I don’t think he realized the intensity of the game, it being the first area game. Once he got it going, he was good.”

Vinemont’s Garrett Boland slid for a catch in shallow center field in the fifth, and Milwood gunned down a runner attempting to advance to third on a bloop single in the opening frame. Barnett, who applied the tag, and Hoffman sported stolen bases.

“We put together a good game, just came up a little short in the end,” Veres said. “But the boys competed. They can play baseball. They know how to. It’s just putting it all together at one time. That game should be a big stepping stone for them. I hope.”

Hanceville (11-4) clinched the area series with a five-inning, 19-0 shutout in Game 2 anchored by a seven-RBI showing from Hardin, who came a double away from the cycle.

Coker (RBI) chipped in three hits of his own, and Hurst (RBI) and Armstrong (two RBIs) supplied doubles. Weissend (RBI), Loggins (RBI) and Hurst each had a pair of hits. Noah Davis (two RBIs), Armstrong, Dalton Rice (RBI), Kaine Yates and Dant’e Reese (RBI) all had one.

Hurst tallied the win with two strikeouts and three hits allowed in a three-inning start. Mark Kubia and Gaiven Cruce tossed the other two frames.

Boland led Vinemont (1-8) with a double. Hoffman, Millwood and Gage Bailey had singles. Burch had a K in two perfect innings of relief.