The Gardendale baseball team (1-0) brought in the Ryan Keedy era in dramatic fashion on Monday afternoon.

In Keedy’s first game as a varsity head coach, his Rockets knocked off Class 7A Mountain Brook 2-1, thanks to a two-out, two-run single off the bat of senior Hayes Haygood. After logging more than four innings of work on the mound, Haygood’s offense was called upon in the home-half of the seventh inning with his Rockets trailing 1-0. He answered with a walk-off single into right field, sending the game-winning run sliding across the plate moments before the ball arrived.

Gardendale’s dugout cleared in celebration on opening day.

Haygood’s single represented one of Gardendale’s four total hits and accounted for the only run production of the day. Junior Carson Cook led the Rockets with two opening day hits. Haygood struck out four Spartans while throwing 13 first-pitch strikes in more than four innings of work.

The Gardendale softball team (4-0) tore through the competition on opening day.

The Rockets hosted Hueytown, Clay-Chalkville, Oak Grove and Ramsay for the Gardendale Invitational and beat them 9-4, 17-0, 16-1 and 16-0, respectively.

Kailey Vaughn led Gardendale with eight RBIs on Monday. Riley Phillips drove home seven runs for the Rockets.

The Mortimer Jordan baseball team (1-0) opened the 2019 season on Monday with a 9-5 road win at Oak Grove.

Grayson Nabors earned the win in three innings of work and Griffin Busby checked in for the (save) final two outs of the Blue Devils’ opening day win. Preston Jones (two innings) and Brody Harris (11/3 innings) also logged innings for Mortimer Jordan.

Garrison McCleney scored three runs off three hits, including a second-inning RBI double. Boo Prisoc came through with a three-run shot in the sixth inning, and Brody Petix teamed up with Dalton Myers with two hits apiece for the visitors.

The Mortimer Jordan softball team (2-1) spent its opening day at the Leeds Round Robin Tournament, notching two wins and a loss on Monday.

The Blue Devils beat Pinson Valley 3-0 and followed with a 6-2 win over Leeds before ending the day with a 9-8 loss to Chelsea.

The Corner baseball team (1-1) split an opening day doubleheader on the road.

The Yellow Jackets fell in their season opener against Hartselle, 2-1, but bounced back with a 4-3 win over Southside-Gadsden.

Tyler McNiese broke a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the seventh, swinging in the game-winning run over the Panthers. Tanner Hayes got the start for head coach Josh Hoyle and answered with six strike outs to go with three runs allowed in more than four inning worked.

Corner put together nine hits, including a sixth-inning home run from Garrett Purvis.

The Pinson Valley softball team (0-4) opened its 2019 season on a tough note Monday.

While competing in the Leeds Round Robin, the Indians strung off loses to Mortimer Jordan 3-0, Chelsea 6-1, Shades Valley 8-0 and finished the day with a 7-1 loss to Lincoln.