Gardendale 10, Valley 2

Gardendale brought plenty of offense to the Lake Martin Classic on Monday.

No one was better at the plate than outfielder Austin Gooch, who drove in seven runs off a 2-for-2 effort. He swung his way to a pair of sacrifice flies and a grand slam for the Rockets in a 10-2 decision over Valley. 

Manning Early (3-for-5), Drew Love (2-for-3) and Luke Pennington (2-for-4) also recorded multiple hits for Gardendale. 

Starter Michael Crowder earned the win in his five innings of work before Pennington came in for the last two frames. 

Handley 6, Gardendale 2

Offense was harder to come by for Gardendale in its second game on Monday.

Handley’s Jeffrey Fetner, an Auburn signee, tossed a complete game for a 6-2 win. He only allowed five hits, but two of them were solo home runs from Manning Early and Drew Love. 

Chelsea 7, Gardendale 2 

The Rockets traveled back to Alexander City on Wednesday for two more games, starting with a 7-2 loss at the hands of No. 7 Chelsea. 

Manning Early provided two of Gardendale’s seven total hits. Dylan Blankenship, Austin Gooch, Michael Crowder, Zane Morgan and Seth Rodgers each had a single.

Gardendale 2, Benjamin Russell 0

A ‘dominant’ outing from left-hander Seth Rodgers closed out Gardendale’s run through the Lake Martin Classic Baseball Tournament. 

Rodgers tossed a complete game, earning a 2-0 win as the Rockets finished tournament play at 2-2. He allowed no runs off three Wildcat hits while striking out 10 batters. 

Again, Manning Early paced the offense with a single and a double. First baseman Michael Crowder also legged out a double in the win. 




Mortimer Jordan 9, Pleasant Grove 6

It went into extra innings and seventh-ranked Mortimer Jordan lived up to its ranking with a dominant eighth inning to upend Pleasant Grove 9-6 on Wednesday. The Blue Devils (20-7) crossed three runs in the top-half of the extra frame and held for a goose egg in the bottom. 

Freshman Garrison McCleney torched the Spartan arms with a 5-for-5 output at the plate. He swung in six runs and scored once. Second baseman Douglas Moore went for two doubles, two scored runs and an RBI.

Mortimer Jordan 18, Montevallo 0

Mortimer Jordan peppered 14 hits on Montevallo on Wednesday in an 18-0 win.

Dalton Hall led the charge with a 3-for-4 outing with two home runs, including a grand slam. Garrett Hall and Evan Smith both went for two hits and two runs scored apiece for the Blue Devils. Senior Patrick Burkett came through with two RBI and scored twice.

Right-hander Preston Jones earned the win in five innings of work.


Mortimer Jordan 7, Shades Valley 4

Mortimer Jordan was back on the field Thursday and went back to extra innings against Shades Valley. Again, the Blue Devils scored three runs in the top of the eighth to secure a 7-4 win.

Head coach Shayne Carnes sent three arms to the mound, including Patrick Burkett who earned the win for his two innings of work. Juniors Dalton Hall and Joseph Swann both tossed three innings, striking out three batters apiece.

Left fielder Evan Smith drove in two runs in the eighth frame and later scored off a Burkett fielder’s choice.


Mortimer Jordan 2, Shades Valley 1

In the second game of a doubleheader, senior Caleb Hays notched the go-ahead, run-scoring double in the seventh inning. That swing scored Jack Singley and sent Mortimer Jordan off to a 2-1 win over Shades Valley.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.