‘COULDN’T ASK FOR A BETTER GROUP’: Vinemont downs Phil Campbell for 1st quarterfinal berth
Published 12:33 am Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Eight teams remain in the Class 3A state title picture — and Vinemont is officially one of them.
The No. 7 Eagles on Monday collected a quarterfinal berth for the first time in program history, riding an early offensive onslaught to a 15-5 road triumph in their win-or-go-home tiebreaker against Phil Campbell.
Vinemont rushed out to a 3-0 advantage in the first inning and led 9-3 after three frames. Rylan McRae, Jake Hale and Joshua Rhodes drove in two runs apiece during that stretch.
That cushion held solid until the sixth, when the Eagles led off the frame with three straight walks before Chad Reynolds hit a single that — thanks to a pair of Phil Campbell errors — ultimately cleared the bags and all but dashed thoughts of a comeback by the home team. Hale added two insurance runs in the seventh inning with a two-run single.
“Seeing these guys develop since I’ve been here and work hard … I’ve just got a good group that gets after it,” said fourth-year coach Hunter Cornelius, whose team became the first in Cullman County to reach the quarterfinal stage since Hanceville in 1991. “All credit goes to them. They make it easy for me. They come in and want to get better. Seeing it pay off right now — it’s been a blast. I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys or assistant coaches.
“Today, we knew we had Joshua (Rhodes) on the mound and an offense that can score runs. I felt confident because of those guys.”
The Red and White (26-10) will host No. 3 Winfield (30-6) in the next round. Friday’s doubleheader begins at 4:30 p.m. — with the if-necessary game slated for Saturday at 1 p.m.
Game 1
Vinemont 12, Phil Campbell 2
Rylan McRae: 2-for-3, 2 RBIs
Rush Sandlin: 2-for-3, 2 RBIs
Jake Hale: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs
Kayden Henderson: 2-for-4, RBI
Chad Reynolds: 3 RBIs
Carson Drummond: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 7 K
Game 2
Phil Campbell 9, Vinemont 5
Kayden Henderson: 3-for-4, 2 RBIs
Owen McKinney: 2-for-4, RBI
Jake Hale: 2-for-5, RBI
Chad Reynolds: 2-for-4
Game 3
Vinemont 15, Phil Campbell 5
Joshua Rhodes: 4-for-6, 2 RBIs
Owen McKinney: 3-for-4
Hayden Robinson: 2-for-4, RBI
Kayden Henderson: 2-for-5, RBI
Rush Sandlin: 2-for-4
Jake Hale: 4 RBIs
Chad Reynolds: 2 RBIs
Rylan McRae: 2 RBIs
Tucker Mauter: 1-for-1, 4 BB