Gardendale's Manning Early slides into the base during Gardendale’s doubleheader sweep over visiting Clay-Chalkville in the first playoff round.

Gardendale 16-5, Clay-Chalkville 1-3: After Gardendale pitcher Jacob Hallmark quickly buzzed through a no-hit, five-inning 16-1 victory over visiting Clay-Chalkville in the opening game of the Class 6A first-round playoff doubleheader on Saturday, the Rockets may have thought they could cruise through the second contest just as easily.

Nothing could have been further from the truth, as the Cougars made a game of it in the nightcap, taking Gardendale to 10 innings before dropping a 5-3 decision to complete the sweep in the best-of-three series.

Hallmark was in control throughout the opener, striking out five Cougars and walking two. He hit a batter with a pitch in the third inning, which led to Clay’s lone run on a sacrifice fly.

Rocket batters feasted on the Cougar pitching staff, putting up 10 runs in the bottom of the third inning. Drew Love went 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, while John Michael Mathews was 3-for-3, also with a double, driving in three runs. Zach Cupps and Manning Early also sent home two runs each.

In all, Gardendale had five doubles among their 13 hits.

The second game was anything but a batter’s banquet, though. Clay starter Matthew Calvert allowed just two runs on five hits in the first nine innings, and threw a total of 9-2⁄3 before yielding the winning runs in the top of the 10th.

Gardendale starter Adam Hulsey went 5-1⁄3 innings and allowed just three hits and two runs while striking out six. Love, who came in to begin the eighth inning, went the rest of the route and picked up the victory.

The Rockets scored three runs in the top of the tenth. Andy McDuffee scored the go-ahead run with a one-out single; he then moved to second on a throwing error, to third on a passed ball and home on a wild pitch.

With two away, Calvert hit Dylan Oliver with a pitch, then walked Early. Both moved up a base on another passed ball, then Cupps brought both runners home on a double.

The Cougars tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the inning, with Andrew Blount scoring on a fielder’s choice, but the next two Clay batters grounded out to end the game and the series.

Cupps was 2-for-5 with three RBIs. and McDuffee drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

With the win, Gardendale advances to the second round, where they will host neighboring Pinson Valley. The opening doubleheader has been moved up to Thursday because of a forecast of rain on Friday.

Pinson Valley 3-3, Walker 2-2: Pinson Valley bounced out of the Class 6A playoffs in the first round Saturday, winning both ends of a doubleheader by 3-2 scores.

The Indians scored the winning runs in their final inning of both contests, breaking a 2-2 deadlock in the bottom of the sixth in the opener when Raul Tafoya got on base after being hit by a pitch; he then scored on two straight Viking errors. All three Indians run were unearned, scoring on errors.

Walker scored in the third inning on a James Tidwell double, and in the sixth on a John Reed hit.

Pinson pitcher Brett Jordan allowed three hits, with two walks, a hit batsman and three strikeouts.

The Tribe broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh of the second game when Destin Davidson smashed a lead-off single to the right-center fence; he later came home on a Blake Sisson sacrifice fly.

Joseph Daniel scored for the Vikes when he got on board with a single, then came around on a triple by John Reed in the third inning.

Hunter Davidson got the victory for Pinson Valley, striking out eight Viking batters.

The doubleheader was moved to Thompson High in Alabaster because the Indians’ field was unplayable.

Mortimer Jordan 14-13, St. Clair County 4-8 (first game, 6 innings):  Jordan took advantage of 12 errors by St. Clair County over both games, as they swept the Saints on Friday.

The Blue Devils dominated the opening game, scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Pitcher Hunter Cornelius picked up his state-leading 12th win of the season, allowing five hits while striking out four Saints.

Nathan Stover hit two doubles and scored three times, twice in the third.

In the nightcap, the Devils put up another big number with eight runs in the top of the third, but St. Clair responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning.

Taylor Goodwin got the win in relief, going 4-1⁄3 innings and striking out 10.

Stover was 3-for-4 with a triple and two RBIs.

Jordan will host Alexandria in the second round.

Corner 10-13, Parker 0-3 (both games, 5 innings): The Yellow Jackets ran all over the Thundering Herd, as Jackson Tavel struck out 10 Parker batters and allowed three hits in the opening game of the twin-bill on Saturday morning.

Kevin Bryant was 2-for-2 with a double and three runs batted in.

Corner exploded for seven runs in the fourth inning of the nightcap. Chris Huff’s double cleared the loaded bases, and Jake Crew stole home.

Chase Best threw four innings, allowing two hits to go with four strikeouts.

Dillon McCaleb’s base hit in the first drove in two.

The Jackets will host Pleasant Grove in the second round; the opening doubleheader has been moved up to Thursday in anticipation of rain on Friday.

Lamar County 12-19, Fultondale 1-2 (both games, 5 innings): A missed defensive play with two outs in the top of the fourth allowed all 12 Bulldog runs to score in the opening game, opening the floodgates that led to a doubleheader sweep.

The damage was even worse in the closing game, as the Dogs scored 13 runs in the bottom of the first, touching up Wildcats pitching for eight earned runs before an out was recorded.

Cordova 4-18, Locust Fork 0-1 (second game, 5 innings): The Hornets ran into a buzz saw named Jed Cordell, who got his eighth win of the year as a pitcher in the opening game, striking out eight. He then went 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs in the nightcap.