Paxton Ponder gave a packed-out Bill Shelton Field something to shout about on Friday night.

The Cullman senior roped a two-out, two-run homer to left-center field in the sixth inning and then slammed the door shut on Gardendale with a spotless final frame on the mound to lift the Bearcats to a 4-2 triumph in Game 3 of their Class 6A quarterfinal series against the Rockets.

With the win, the Black and Gold (23-20) advance to the semifinals to face No. 1 Oxford.

“It was a great series, because both teams were dialed in and super competitive,” Cullman coach Brent Patterson said. “It meant the world to both sides. To get to play in that environment is really special. And to see the little Cullman kids get to experience a deep playoff run is great for our program. It was awesome to be part of it. Hard to put into words.”

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Cullman struck for two runs following a bases-loaded walk by Zane Watwood and a sacrifice fly by Hunter Howell.

Gardendale, though, answered with two runs in the sixth inning to knot the score at 2-all.

But that simply set the stage for Ponder, who walloped a 2-1 offering over the fence to send the Black and Gold faithful into a frenzy.

“I was fortunate enough to get that at-bat after Elijah (Hays) hustled to beat out that possible double-play ball right before me,” Ponder said. “Early in the at-bat, I swung through a fastball, but I knew they wouldn’t come with it again and I looked for the breaking ball. I got a good barrel on it and was fortunate enough to put it out.”

Ponder then worked around a leadoff walk to retire the Rockets in order in the seventh, punching out Auburn commit Caiden Combs for the final out to set off a well-deserved celebration with his teammates and coaches.

“Nothing is better than winning here at Bill Shelton with the community around us,” he said. “They pour into us so much. All the students showed up, too, and that made it fun.”

Added Patterson: “Paxton hasn’t pitched a lot, so it takes a lot of maturity to refocus and settle down and get back out there and get three outs. Knowing they’ve got so many guys who can leave the yard — it’s tough. But he continued to make big pitch after big pitch. He rose to the occasion.”

Ponder (two RBIs), Howell (RBI) and Elijah Hays recorded one hit apiece for the Bearcats, while Watwood contributed an RBI.

Easton Peed, meanwhile, pitched five solid innings, scattering five hits and three strikeouts. He allowed just one earned run.

The Bearcats will now set their sights on Oxford, which eliminated defending champion Hartselle in a sweep on Thursday night.

It’ll no doubt be a challenge, but Patterson knows his group is prepared for the bright lights.

“They’ve been the best team in 6A all year,” he said of the Yellow Jackets. “We’re excited to go there and we know we’ll have to play real well. But our kids are ready to go. There’s a trip to the finals on the line. This is why you play — for opportunities like this. We’re thankful we get another week with these guys.”