Senators reach semifinals
TUSCALOOSA - Sparkman's 2008 baseball season has been reduced to a simple math equation: win four games in the next seven days to bring home a state championship trophy.
The Senators took a step toward a bid for the state championship by winning two games against Paul Bryant last weekend on the road.
The Senators, now 31-12 overall, will host Hoover in a three-game series this weekend. Today's doubleheader will start at 4:30 p.m. A third and deciding game will be Saturday at 1 p.m.
Opelika will play at Prattville in the other semifinal series, with the state finals scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 16-17 at Paterson Field in Montgomery.
Sparkman and Paul Bryant split a doubleheader Friday afternoon to force the deciding game Saturday.
The Senators won 5-2 in nine innings in the opening game of the series despite trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh with two outs.
Sparkman took the win with three runs in the ninth inning. Josh Carpenter and Wes Goode both had singles in the inning to help the Senators take an early lead in the series.
The Senators got a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the seventh inning to force extra innings.
Daniel Howard picked up the victory with two innings of work in relief of starter Nate Montgomery. He allowed two runs over seven innings.
But the Stampede battled back to tie the series with a 3-1 victory in the nightcap Friday.
Sparkman's only run in the second game was unearned.
In the deciding game, Sparkman got its only run in the first inning when Bruce Maxwell doubled to score Justin Pearson.
The Senators made the slim lead stand up as Maxwell handcuffed the Stampede and Sparkman's defense came up with some stellar plays in the field.
Bradford finished with five strikeouts in the win to pick up his sixth victory of the season.
Forrest Holifield was tagged with his first loss of the season despite allowing just five hits in the deciding game. He retired the last 11 hitters he faced, but the Stampede just couldn't back him up with any offense against Bradford.
