By Charles Prince

For The North Jefferson News



The Hartselle Tigers showed why they’re the No. 7-ranked Class 5A baseball team in the state on Friday night, as they crushed the Gardendale Rockets, 12-2 in game one of their best-of-three second round playoff series.

Hartselle got six runs batted in on homers, as they erased an early 2-0 Gardendale lead to win going away in six innings.

The Rockets got off to a quick start, in the top of the first inning, as Justin Jones and Hunter Graveman hit back-to-back two out singles.

Adam Erwin then hit a two-run double to giving the Rockets the lead.

Gardendale starting pitcher David Roberts got off to a good start as well, sitting the Tigers down in order in the opening inning, but then the home team took the lead with an eight-run second inning.

The rally was highlighted by Zac Waddell’s three-run homer to two outs to give Hartselle and 8-2 cushion.

Roberts (6-5) took the loss as he pitched five complete innings and allowed 11 of the Tiger’s 12 runs.

Hartselle wasn’t done with the long ball after the second inning, however. With the score 9-2 in Hartselle’s favor, the Tiger’s Luke Bole ended the game in the sixth inning on the 10-run rule with a two-out three-run walk-off homer to give the home club a 1-game lead in the series.

Gardendale, which had won 21-of-22 games entering the weekend, slipped to 28-10, while Hartselle improved to 31-9.

The Rockets totaled six hits for the contest, five singles and Erwin’s RBI-double.

At press time, Hartselle led game two, 7-0, in the top of the third inning.