ACA Baseball Week in Review

The baseball season came to an end Friday as Alabama Christian (14-17) split a doubleheader with MA. ACA’s young team stayed in the postseason race until the last day of the season. The batting lineup for many games this year was made up of three juniors, four sophomores, and two freshmen. In addition, three of the four regular starters were two sophomores and a freshman. Hopefully, a year of experience will pay dividends on the field next year.

Watching Jackson Burton hit the ball Friday brought a lot of “what if” thoughts to mind, but it was good to see him get some at-bats late in the year. The MA coaching staff was sure impressed as they intentionally walked Burton late in a meaningless game although they were aware of his situation. I’m not sure if they were trying to save the confidence of their pitchers or their physical safety as one of Burton’s hit almost took the pitcher into center field with the ball.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Ethan Dabney - .381, Teilan Long - .375, Jake Hunt - .317 On-Base % - Teilan Long - .519, Ethan Dabney - .487, David Johnson - .446 Extra Base Hits - Beau Gainey - 10, Teilan Long, Ethan Dabney, David Johnson, and Bryson Dabney - 5 RBI’s - David Johnson and Bryson Dabney - 18, Beau Gainey - 17 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 24, Bryson Dabney - 23, David Johnson - 21 Stolen Bases - Ethan Dabney - 17, Teilan Long - 11, Jeremiah Johnson - 9

Wins - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 4, David Johnson - 3 Innings Pitched - Cam Sutton - 40 2/3, Mason Henry - 39 1/3, David Johnson 38 Strikeouts - Mason Henry - 39, Beau Gainey - 33, Cam Sutton - 31 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.75, Mason Henry - 3.38, David Johnson - 5.16 Opponent’s Batting Average - Mason Henry - .256, David Johnson - .299, Cam Sutton - .302

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (8-22-1) dropped all three of their games this week but hope to bounce back next week as they get ready for the Area tournament. The lone home game next week will be on Tuesday against BTW-Magnet on Senior Night.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Laura Matthews - .417, Elizabeth Hall - .413, Anna Gleason - .373 On-Base % - Elizabeth Hall - .500, Campbell Hammett - .459, Laura Matthews - .451 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 24, Anna Gleason and Maddie Owens - 19 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 34, Elizabeth Hall - 25, Nora Burgess - 17

Wins - Maddie Owens - 6, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 49, Adalee Lincoln - 6 ERA - Maddie Owens - 7.05, Adalee Lincoln - 10.88

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (13-14) played their second Area series of the season this week and once again split the first two games and lost the tie-breaker. Although the PA announcer at St James prematurely pronounced that the Trojans had clinched a playoff spot, all four teams in the Area still have a chance to make or miss the postseason. ACA’s path would be a two-game sweep of MA and a sweep by either PCA or St James of each other.

The week started with games on Monday and Tuesday against Park Crossing and Autauga Academy. The Eagles defeated Park Crossing on Monday 20-4, which was the first time the Eagles had scored that many runs since 2009. On Tuesday, ACA defeated Autauga Academy 9-0 highlighted by a three-run homer by Teilan Long. Four pitchers were able to get some work and ready themselves for the St James series. However, the moment of the night was a third inning pinch-hit appearance by Jackson Burton. The senior has been unable to play so far this season due to injury and he delivered an RBI single in the at-bat. The run driven in was the 53rd of his career and moved him into the Top 20 in program history.

In game one of the St James series, the Trojans struck first with a run in the first, but ACA answered in the second to tie the game. Dee Howze delivered a two-out single that drove in Kennan McCarthy. St James scored three times in the fourth aided by two ACA errors and they would never trail again. St James scored ten runs over the last four innings to pull away for an 11-2 win. Bryson Dabney led the offense with two hits and a walk.

Like the PCA series, ACA got off to a good start in game two of the series. David Johnson and Beau Gainey delivered run scoring singles in the first to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. The lead stretched to four runs in the second as Ethan Dabney and David Johnson each drove in a run. The St James offense woke up and scored four runs over the next two innings to tie the game after three. David Johnson came in and shut the Trojan offense down over the final four innings as he allowed just two hits while striking out three, earning the victory on the mound. ACA scored single runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh frames for the 7-4 win. Ethan Dabney went 3 for 3 with two walks, two RBI’s, and two runs scored to lead the offense. David Johnson finished 2 for 3 with two walks and two runs driven in. The offense could not put anything together in the tie-breaker and St James steadily pulled away for a 10-0 win in five innings. The offense mustered just four hits.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Ethan Dabney - .388, Teilan Long - .352, Beau Gainey - .310 On-base % - Teilan Long - .511, Ethan Dabney - .495, David Johnson - .458 RBI’s - Bryson Dabney - 18, Beau Gainey - 17, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - 16 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 23, Bryson Dabney - 21, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - 19

Wins - Mason Henry - 4, David Johnson and Beau Gainey - 3 Strikeouts - Mason Henry and Beau Gainey - 31, David Johnson and Cam Sutton - 29 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.63, Mason Henry - 3.03, David Johnson - 4.04

ACA Softball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (8-19-1) played two important Area games this week and ended with a split as they beat Trinity on Thursday after a loss to St James on Tuesday. The win over the Wildcats should help the team’s confidence as they prepare for the Area tournament. The Eagles will play Trinity in the opener of the tournament.

ACA played St James close in the early innings and trailed by just one run going to the bottom of the fourth inning. The Trojan bats came alive at that point as the home team scored nine times over the final three innings for a 12-2 win. Ann Marie and Adalee Lincoln recorded the only two hits for the Eagles.

Last week, Trinity handled ACA easily and the Lady Eagles knew they had to make a statement in Thursday’s match up. Maddie Owens was solid in the circle as she allowed just four hits and one run in her five innings of work. Six Wildcat errors aided the offense as Alabama Christian won 11-1. Campbell Hammett drove in four runs with two hits to lead the offense. Elizabeth Hall and Anna Gleason both contributed two hits as well.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .429, Anna Gleason - .411, Laura Matthews - .395 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .493, Anna Gleason - .476, Campbell Hammett - .442 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 19, Maddie Owens and Anna Gleason - 16 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 29, Elizabeth Hall - 19, Nora Burgess - 15

Wins - Maddie Owens - 6, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 45, Adalee Lincoln - 5 ERA - Maddie Owens - 5.76, Adalee Lincoln - 10.32

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (7-18-1) had a very busy week with two Area games and a weekend tournament in Northport, just outside Tuscaloosa. Although the results were not exactly what was hoped for, the week saw a few milestones reached. Tuesday against Trinity, Elizabeth Hall recorded her 100th career hit. Thursday against MA, the program won its 1,000th game. In the same game Anna Gleason reached the 100 career hit plateau with three doubles, which tied a single game record.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .431, Anna Gleason - .412, Laura Matthews - .405 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .492, Anna Gleason - .483, Campbell Hammett - .443 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 19, Anna Gleason and Maddie Owens - 15 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 28, Elizabeth Hall - 18, Nora Burgess - 13

Wins - Maddie Owens - 5, Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 44, Adalee Lincoln - 4 ERA - Maddie Owens - 6.01, Adalee Lincoln - 9.87

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (10-12) opened Area play this week against PCA. ACA split with the Panthers although PCA won the tie-breaker game. Monday’s game against Tallassee was cancelled which meant it had been six days between games as the series started at PCA on Thursday. The umpiring school that the home fans must go to before each season really paid off as the crowd was able to loudly critique each perceived missed call by the umpires. The importance of the pitch, the score, the situation, did not matter, they gladly offered their expertise to the men in blue. Another thing that stood out was the glacier-like pace the Panther pitchers implemented, especially during games two and three. It was a mild surprise the ACA batters didn’t cramp up waiting for the pitch to be thrown.

Game one was dominated by PCA’s staff ace. The senior controlled the game from the outset. The highlight of the game was a sixth inning single by Mason Henry which broke up a no-hit bid by the PCA hurler. Dee Howze followed with another knock for the only two hits of the game for the Eagles. The game went the full seven innings in a 9-0 win for PCA.

PCA might have come in a little over confident to Friday’s doubleheader. The dominant performance the previous day and the recent results the past few years had the visitors feeling loose. The Panthers decided not to throw their number two starter in Friday’s opener but went with a pitcher ACA was very familiar with. The Eagles rocked their old friend for seven runs over 2 1/3 innings forcing an early exit. After three innings, ACA led 7-1. Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both delivered two-out singles in the first for ACA’s first two runs. In the second, Ethan Dabney doubled on a deep ball to center to drive in Dee Howze. After PCA scored in the top of the third, the home team took the momentum right back with four runs in the bottom half. Mason Henry, David Johnson, and Ethan Dabney all contributed run scoring hits in the frame. PCA scored three in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 7-4, but Alabama Christian responded again with two runs of their own to make it 9-4. ACA tacked on two more insurance runs in the sixth to win the game 11-5 and split the series with PCA. Ethan Dabney was a force offensively with a 5 for 5 effort including a double and five RBI’s. Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both had three hits and drove in a run. David Johnson picked up the win controlling a very good lineup with three strikeouts over five innings. Cam Sutton pitched the last two innings in relief for the save.

The number two pitcher PCA saved for the tie-breaker game proved be just a little more than the ACA offense could handle with the exception of Ethan Dabney. After going 5 for 5 in game one the sophomore racked up two more hits in his first two at-bats of game two for seven straight hits over the two games. Dabney did all of this while catching all three games of the series. ACA was able to cut the lead to one run after four innings on a beautiful squeeze bunt by Alex Heilman but could not score again. In the seventh, trailing 5-1, the Eagles mounted a two-out rally and brought the tying run to the plate but was unable to score. PCA won the tie-breaker 5-1.

Season Leaders

Batting Average - Teilan Long - .407, Ethan Dabney - .391, David Johnson - .312 On-base % - Teilan Long - .556, Ethan Dabney - .488, David Johnson - .477 RBI’s - Beau Gainey - 15, David Johnson - 13, Ethan Dabney and Jeremiah Johnson - 12 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 20, David Johnson and Bryson Dabney - 15

Wins - Mason Henry - 4, Beau Gainey - 3, David Johnson - 2 Strikeouts - Mason Henry and Beau Gainey - 27, Cam Sutton - 26 ERA - Mason Henry - 2.15, Cam Sutton - 2.60, Beau Gainey - 3.99

ACA Baseball Week in Review

ACA (7-9) went to the beach for spring break to play in the Gulf Coast Classic. The Eagles won their last game of four for the week as they defeated Calera, 9-1. The squad played a doubleheader on Monday in frigid weather with single games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Four players, Teilan Long, Ethan Dabney, David Johnson, and Beau Gainey, had hits in all four games. Long and Gainey led the team with seven hits each.

In the finale, Jake Hunt’s two-run triple in the bottom of the fourth jump started the offense. In the fifth, Bryson Dabney and Alex Heilman both had run scoring singles in a six-run frame. ACA tacked on a final run in the sixth for a 9-1 triumph. Mason Henry pitched all six innings for the win allowing just four hits while striking out seven. Teilan Long and Bryson Dabney both had two hits to lead the offense.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Teilan Long - .370, David Johnson and Ethan Dabney - .333 On-base % - Teilan Long - .547, David Johnson - .524, Ethan Dabney - .459 RBI’s - Beau Gainey - 12, David Johnson - 10, Bryson Dabney and Jeremiah Johnson - 9 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 17, Bryson Dabney - 14, David Johnson - 12

Wins - Mason Henry - 3, Beau Gainey - 2, Cam Sutton and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Mason Henry - 26, Beau Gainey - 22, Cam Sutton - 21 ERA - Mason Henry - 2.44, Beau Gainey - 2.67, Cam Sutton - 2.88

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (4-11) spent half of their spring break at the beach participating in the Gulf Coast Classic. The team won one of five games as they completed against teams from Alabama and Tennessee. The schedule makers did them no favors as ACA played in the final game of the day on Monday night and the first game of the day at 8:00 Tuesday morning. Elizabeth Hall, Ann Marie Lincoln, and Adalee Lincoln each had four hits on the week to lead the team.

In the weeks only win, Alabama Christian trailed 1-4 going to the bottom of the third inning. The offense exploded for eight runs over the next two frames for the 9-4 victory. In the third, the Lincoln sisters produced back to back singles driving in three runs to tie the game, 4-4. In the fourth, Emma Redmon drove in the winning run with a double to right and later scored herself in the five-run frame. Four players, Elizabeth Hall, Chloe Childs, Ann Marie Lincoln, and Adalee Lincoln, each had two hits to lead the offense. Adalee drove in three runs and scored twice.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .500, Laura Matthews - .409, Anna Gleason - .400 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - .526, Adalee Lincoln - .486, Anna Gleason - .471 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 13, Adalee Lincoln - 7, Anna Gleason, Laura Matthews, and Maddie Owens - 6 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 18, Elizabeth Hall - 11, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 8

Wins - Maddie Owens and Adalee Lincoln - 2 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 21, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Maddie Owens - 7.10, Adalee Lincoln - 9.00

ACA Baseball Week in Review

The Eagles (6-6) played in-town opponents this week and won one of three games. The week started at home against Brew Tech on Monday. The game was a pitcher’s duel which ACA won, 3-2. The offense was provided by the Dansby brothers as they collected all four hits for the Alabama Christian offense. Ethan drove in the game winner in the sixth with a two-out single to left driving in AJ Shannon. Beau Gainey picked up the win with three innings of one-hit relief work. The righty struck out three with no walks.

Tuesday brought Catholic calling in what would end up as a high scoring game. Early on, the Eagles had things their way as they scored three runs in the first and David Johnson mowed through the Knight’s lineup not allowing his first hit until two outs in the fourth inning. However, once the Catholic offense got rolling, ACA couldn’t stop them. The visitors scored eleven runs over the final four innings in an 11-7 defeat of ACA. Jeremiah Johnson and Teilan Long led the offense with two hits apiece.

Friday sent ACA to Trinity for an afternoon contest. The song choices from the press box for the opposing players was disappointing at best, classless at worst, but that didn’t take away from the Wildcat’s effort on the field. The Eagles had Trinity’s starter on the ropes in the first two innings but could not produce the timely hit needed to score a run. In the first, ACA had runners at first and second with no outs, but two strikeouts and fly ball ended the inning. In the second, ACA loaded the bases with one out but a strikeouts and a fly ball once again ended the threat. The offense did not put a man in scoring position with less than two outs again until the seventh inning. Meanwhile, Trinity’s offense did just enough for the 5-0 win. Jeremiah Johnson, Alex Heilman, and Ethan Dabney each had two hits to lead the offense.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Alex Heilman - .324, David Johnson - .312, Jeremiah Johnson - .306 On-base % - David Johnson - .532, Teilan Long - .521, Ethan Dabney - .467 RBI’s - Jeremiah Johnson and Beau Gainey - 9, David Johnson - 8 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 13, Bryson Dabney - 11, David Johnson - 9

Wins - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 2, Cam Sutton and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Beau Gainey and Mason Henry - 19, Cam Sutton - 18 ERA - Cam Sutton - 2.33, Mason Henry - 2.88, Baeu Gainey - 3.07

ACA Softball Week in Review

For the second week in a row, Alabama Christian (3-7) played just one game over the course of the week. The Eagles hosted Stanhope Elmore on Monday and were defeated in an extra inning shootout, 10-13. ACA scored three in the first as Elizabeth Hall smashed a two-run homer in the inning. Stanhope scored seven in the third and owned a 7-4 lead after three. In the sixth, ACA took a two-run lead after scoring three times in the bottom half. Unfortunately, the Mustangs scored twice in the seventh to force extras. In the eighth, the visitors scored four times and held ACA to one run for the 13-10 win.

Despite the loss, the offense was in high gear on the afternoon. Anna Gleason went 4 for 5 with three RBI’s to lead the team. Campbell Hammett and Elizabeth Hall both had two hits. Hammett scored five runs and stole four bases against Stanhope. She is the eighth player in program history to score at least five runs in a game and the first since 1996. In addition, she is just the sixth player in program history to steal at least four bases in a game.

Season Leaders

Batting Avg. - Elizabeth Hall - .524, Anna Gleason - .440, Campbell Hammett - .333 On-base % - Elizabeth Hall - ..536, Anna Gleason - .517, Adalee Lincoln - .500 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 13, Laura Matthews - 6, Anna Gleason - 5 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 16, Elizabeth Hall - 9, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 7

Wins - Adalee Lincoln - 2, Maddie Owens - 1 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 16, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Adalee Lincoln - 5.37, Maddie Owens - 8.08

ACA Baseball Week in Review

Alabama Christian (5-4) split its four games this week as they participated in the FCA tournament Wednesday through Saturday. The week started with a home game against Autauga Academy on Monday. ACA took advantage of nine General’s walks, five errors, three hit batsmen, and two catchers interference calls in a 10-2 victory. David Johnson pitched six innings with eight strikeouts to earn the win and added two hits at the plate. Dee Howze went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI’s.

The remainder of the week, the Eagles played in the FCA tournament with all three of their games being held at Riverwalk. ACA opened against Lee-Scott on Wednesday. The game was tied 1-1 after three innings, but LSA scored ten runs over the next three innings for an 11-1 win. David Johnson drove in Teilan Long in the first inning for the team’s only run. On Friday, Alabama Christian took on Pike Road. The contest did not feature much offense, but the Patriots did just enough for a 2-1 victory. Cam Sutton pitched a solid six innings and deserved a better outcome, but the offense left eight runners on base and did not have a single hit with runners in scoring position.

Saturday saw Mason Henry pitch a gem of a game and the offense came through in a 6-1 defeat of Marbury. The freshman went the distance allowing just three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. The righty also helped himself at the plate with three hits in four at-bats. Beau Gainey also delivered three hits with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Bryson Dabney, Teilan Long, and David Johnson each had two hits. Every starter had at least one hit.

ACA trailed 0-1 after four innings. In the fifth, Ethan Dabney had a two-out single to center to tie the game. In the sixth there was more two-out drama as the Eagles took the lead on a bases loaded walk by Teilan Long. In the seventh, four insurance runs sure felt good as ACA pulled away. Beau Gainey, Alex Heilman, and Long each had run scoring hits.

Team Leaders

Batting Avg. - David Johnson and Dee Howze - .400, Teilan Long - .333 On-Base % - David Johnson - .571, Teilan Long - .556, Ethan Dabney - .485 RBI’s - David Johnson and Beau Gainey - 8, Jeremiah Johnson - 7 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 12, Bryson Dabney - 11, Jeremiah Johnson and David Johnson - 7

Wins - Mason Henry - 2, Cam Sutton, Beau Gainey, and David Johnson - 1 Strikeouts - Cam Sutton - 18, Beau Gainey - 16, David Johnson - 15 ERA - Cam Sutton - 0.84, David Johnson - 1.36, Mason Henry - 1.91

ACA Softball Week in Review

After a busy first two weeks, Alabama Christian played a single game in week three with a visit to PCA on Thursday. The Panthers defeated ACA in five innings, 13-3. Elizabeth Hall, Anna Gleason, Chloe Childs, and Adalee Lincoln each had a hit. Hall drove in two runs in the game.

Team Leaders

Batting Avg. - Laura Matthews - .538, Elizabeth Hall - .529, Anna Gleason - .350 On-base % - Adalee Lincoln - .588, Laura Matthews - .538, Elizabeth Hall - .522 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 11, Laura Matthews - 6, Chloe Childs, Bentley Lamberth, and Peri Laine Holley - 4 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 11, Elizabeth Hall - 7, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 6

Wins - Adalee Lincoln - 2, Maddie Owens - 1 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 13, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Adalee Lincoln - 5.37, Maddie Owens - 7.52

ACA Softball Week in Review

The Lady Eagles (3-5) had a full slate of games scheduled over the past week. The week started with a tough loss at Catholic on Monday. Thursday the team traveled to Elmore County but did not make it through the second inning before the rains came and stayed. That game will be completed at a later date. The weekend saw ACA participate in a tournament in Wetumpka where teams from all over the state played. Alabama Christian split their four games over Friday and Saturday.

Catholic - 3/23

In a game where the lead changed hands four times, ACA could not hold the Catholic offense down in an 11-12 loss. The Eagles led 7-3 after four and a half innings, but could not hold the lead. Bentley Lamberth’s three-run jack in the third gave ACA a 4-2 lead. Three Eagles, Campbell Hammett, Elizabeth Hall, and Peri Laine Holley, each had two hits to lead the offense. Hall also drove in four runs.

Billingsley - 2/27

ACA scored nine runs in the first two innings and was able to hold off a fifth inning rally by the Bears for a 10-7 victory. Adalee Lincoln picked up the win with a complete game effort. Lincoln pitched five innings allowing just one earned run with three strikeouts. At the plate, Laura Matthews led the way with a 3 for 3 performance with two runs driven in. Campbell Hammett finished 2 for 2 with three stolen bases and two runs scored while Peri Laine Holley went 2 for 4 with two RBI’s.

Gulf Shores - 2/27

ACA hung with Gulf Shores for an inning and a half, but when the Dolphins got going they ran away with the game. The Eagles lost by a score of 2-16. Anna Gleason got the team’s only hit for the game.

Stanhope Elmore - 2/28

ACA was given the last two time slots for the second day of the tournament. As expected, games were running late which delayed the Eagles start time. Like the Gulf Shores game, ACA stayed close to a much larger opponent to start. After four innings against the Mustangs, ACA trailed by just one run. Stanhope Elmore pulled away in the last frame for a 13-4 defeat of the Eagles. Laura Matthews paced the offense with two hits in three at bats and an RBI. Campbell Hammett scored two runs and stole two bases.

Isabella - 2/28

The night and the tournament ended on a high note as ACA pounded Isabella 16-3. The Eagles scored six runs over the second and third innings on just two hits. Maddie Owens got the win as she pitched all five innings allowing no earned runs with three strikeouts. Chloe Childs went 2 for 3 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Both Elizabeth Hall and Laura Matthews went 2 for 4 and each drove in two runs.

Team Leaders

Batting Average - Laura Matthews - .538, Elizabeth Hall - .533, Anna Gleason and Campbell Hammett - .333 On-base percentage - Adalee Lincoln - .600, Laura Matthews - .538, Elizabeth Hall - .524 RBI’s - Elizabeth Hall - 9, Laura Matthews - 6, Chole Childs, Bentley Lamberth, and Peri Laine Holley - 4 Runs Scored - Campbell Hammett - 10, Elizabeth Hall - 7, Anna Gleason and Emma Redmon - 6

Wins - Adalee Lincoln - 2, Maddie Owens - 1 Strikeouts - Maddie Owens - 9, Adalee Lincoln - 3 ERA - Adalee Lincoln - 5.37, Maddie Owens - 6.22

ACA Baseball Week in Review

After dropping both games in the first week of the season, the Eagles bounced back in week two to win all three of their games. The week started with a bitterly cold trip to Beulah and an extra-inning victory over the Bobcats. ACA capped off the week with a doubleheader sweep of Park Crossing. An all-star grounds crew worked all day Friday to make sure the games could be played.

Beulah - 2/24

When the starting lineups were being announced before the Beulah game, no one knew a botched attempt at a name would give a player his potential permanent nickname. However, when you get Muhammad out of Mason Henry , the name has a chance to stick. David Johnson pitched the Eagles to 5-3 lead as the starter. The sophomore lasted 4 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Jeremiah Johnson’s two-run single with two outs in the fourth inning gave ACA a 4-3 lead and an inning later Beau Gainey singled in Alex Heilman for a 5-3 advantage. Three defensive errors in the sixth allowed Beulah to tie the game 5-5 and force extra innings. In the eighth, Dee Howze put the Eagles ahead with an RBI ground out. Alex Heilman followed with a run scoring single and Mason Henry capped the frame with a two-run single for a 9-5 lead. Beau Gainey struck out the side in the bottom half to pick up the win in relief. The right hander went 3 2/3 innings giving up no earned runs with eight strikeouts. Jeremiah Johnson and Alex Heilman led the offense with two hits a piece.

Park Crossing (Game 1) - 2/27

Alabama Christian scored in every inning of the 15-1 run-rule victory. Cam Sutton, who pitched well enough to win last week, picked up his first win of the year with a dominating performance against Park Crossing. The senior pitched five innings allowing just three hits with ten strikeouts. The offense was aided by 12 free passes issued by Thunderbird pitchers. Bryson Dabney went 2 for 4 with a double while scoring three runs and driving in two. Beau Gainey also went 2 for 4 with a double and drove in three runs.

Park Crossing (Game 2) - 2/27

The nightcap looked very similar to game one as ACA drew nine walks and run-ruled its opponent in five innings, 15-3. Mason Henry made his 2026 debut on the mound and earned the victory. The freshman pitched four innings and struck out five with no walks. Jeremiah Johnson pitched the fifth as he struck out two and picked off a very aggressive base runner. Three Eagles tallied two hits in the game. Ethan Dabney went 2 for 2 with a double and a triple along with a walk and a run scored. Teilan Long was 2 for 3 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Alex Heilman went 2 for 3 with two runs driven in and a run scored. David Johnson led the team with three RBIs.

Team Leaders

Batting Average - Dee Howze - .444, Jeremiah Johnson - .385, David Johnson - .385 On-base percentage - Ethan Dabney - .588, David Johnson - .579, Jeremiah Johnson - .550 Runs Scored - Teilan Long - 9, Bryson Dabney - 8, Jeremiah Johnson and David Johnson - 5 RBI’s - Jeremiah Johnson - 7, Beau Gainey and David Johnson- 6

Wins - Cam Sutton, Beau Gainey, and Mason Henry - 1 Strikeouts - Cam Sutton - 13, Beau Gainey - 12, David Johnson - 7 ERA - Cam Sutton - 0.66, Beau Gainey - 2.10, David Johnson - 3.23

Eagles Complete Season Sweep of Holtville

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It’s also been said, a win is a win. Both varsity basketball teams stopped four game losing streaks with wins over Holtville on Friday. Although ACA enjoyed putting a notch in the win column, the game film will not be hanging in the Louvre anytime soon.

Girls (6-8)

The ACA defense held Holtville scoreless in the first quarter as the Bulldogs managed only eight shots from the field and committed eight turnovers. Adalyn Newkirk started the scoring for the Eagles with a three followed by two-point baskets from Campbell Hammett, Sam Burgess, and Newkirk. The Eagles led 9-0 after a period and it looked like smooth sailing for the rest of the night. However, looks can be deceiving and ACA fell into an offensive funk over the next two quarters. ACA went 1 for 13 from the floor in the second quarter as Piper Powers made the lone field goal. Luckily, the home team’s offense was not much better, but the lead was cut to five points as Alabama Christian led 12-7 at the break.

Adalyn Newkirk made a shot on the Eagle’s second possession of the third quarter and then the team fell into another long scoring drought. ACA’s next point came on a free throw from Addison Smith with 1:51 left in the period for a 15-13 lead. After two offensive rebounds on their next possession, Holtville tied the game. To ACA’s credit, the team responded and closed the third with four points for a 19-15 lead. A three-ball by Newkirk to start the fourth stretched the lead to 22-15. Both offenses finally found the range in the fourth and the teams played evenly the remainder of the game. The lead stayed between six and twelve points the rest of the way. ACA outscored the home team 14-9 in the final quarter for the 33-24 victory.

Adalyn Newkirk was the game’s leading with 13 points and nine rebounds. Campbell Hammett had six points, eight rebounds, and four steals while Addison Smith finished with six points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Boys (6-10)

The boys never trailed against Holtville as they built an early 8-2 lead with just over two minutes to go in the first. Four players, AJ Shannon, Mason Henry, Levi Summers, and Christian Snipes scored in the run in a balanced attack. ACA led 11-6 after a quarter. The lead ballooned to 19-6 just two minutes into the second as Ethan Capps stole the ball like a bandit and laid it in for a 13-point lead. The Bulldogs fought back with an 11-3 run to cut the lead to five points late in the half. The Eagles led by nine at the half, 27-18.

The home team came out of the locker room ready to go and scored the first seven points of the half to cut the lead to two points. However, back to back threes by Mason Henry and Christian Snipes seem to take the wind out of Holtville’s sails as they never made another serious threat to the lead. ACA stretched the lead to 43-30 by the end of three. Both offenses cooled off in the fourth, but ACA did enough to secure the 49-41 win.

Christian Snipes led the offense with 13 points along with seven rebounds. Levi Summers finished with eight points and a team-best twelve rebounds. Noah Shack had six points and three rebounds while Mason Henry, Erthan Capps, and Cole Jordan each chipped in five points.

Eagles Defeat Reeltown for Fifth Win of the Year

Alabama Christian has a busy end to Finals week as they hosted Reeltown on Thursday night and will travel to Mobile to play on Friday and Saturday. ACA split the two games on Thursday as the boys won 48-40 and the girls lost 46-52.

Boys

The boys played uninspired offensively in the first half, but the defense kept them in it as Reeltown also struggled to score points. ACA’s (5-6) defense held the Rebels to just nine made baskets in the half in a low scoring first half. A Levi Summers score gave the home team its first lead of the night, 15-14, with five minutes left in the second period. After a Reeltown turnover, Christian Snipes scored to make it a three-point lead, the biggest of the first half. The Rebels answered and closed out the half on a 7-1 run to take a 21-18 lead at the break.

Reeltown scored to open the second half for their biggest lead of the game, 23-18. ACA chipped away at the slim lead throughout the quarter. Noah Shack hit one of two free throws with 2:37 left in the third to give the Eagles the lead for good, 26-25. On the next play Levi Summers stole the ball and found Mason Henry for a 3-pointer for what seemed like a big lead in this game, 29-25. The third ended with ACA leading 30-27. AJ Shannon started the fourth quarter with a three to extend the lead to six points. Although ACA led throughout the fourth period, Reeltown never went away. The Rebels cut the lead to one with a little less than five minutes left in the game. ACA answered with a 6-0 run to lead 41-34 with 3:21 left. Once again, the Rebels fought their way back and cut the lead to 42-40 with 2:30 left in the game. ACA’s defense would not allow another point as Reeltown missed its last six shots down the stretch. Meanwhile, the Eagles pulled away as Shannon hit a runner in the lane for a 44-40 lead followed by Henry’s acrobatic put back basket for a 46-40 lead. Levi Summers closed out the scoring as ACA prevailed 48-40.

Levi Summers led the offense with 13 points and also grabbed a team high nine rebounds. Mason Henry finished with nine points, seven rebounds, and four steals while Noah Shack scored seven points, all in the second half.

Girls

Sometimes in sports you run across a player who is just physically bigger than everyone else and can’t be stopped. ACA (5-5) lived that reality on Thursday as Reeltown had a mountain of a post player and a couple of other girls who were also bigger than any Eagle. The coaching staff tried multiple defenses to stop her, but some of the other players hit open shots in response to doubling the post. Overall, the Eagle effort was good and the team played hard all night. Despite trailing most of the second half, ACA cut the lead to two points with less than a minute to go, but Reeltown made their shots to win it, 52-46.

Campbell Hammett scored 16 points to lead the offense and eight rebounds. Adalyn Newkirk scored 13 points with seven rebounds and Per Laine Holley added six points with four rebounds. Sam Burgess led the team with nine rebounds.

ACA Defeats Elmore County on the Road

The Lady Eagles (5-4) survived a bumpy second half and held on for a 40-35 win over Elmore County Monday night. ACA dominated in the first half as the Panther offense was stagnant. The Eagles built a 21-10 lead at the break, but lost the lead in just over four minutes in the third period. Alabama Christian did just enough in the second half to walk away with the win. Mary Rachel Hunt came off the bench and gave the team valuable minutes in the second half and contributed to the victory.

ACA jumped out to a quick 7-1 lead as Adalyn Newkirk hit two from long distance for six quick points. After seeing that, the freshman became the focal point of the home team’s defense the rest of the night. The Eagles held an 11-4 lead at the end of the first quarter as Elmore County made their first basket from the field with less than a minute to go in the period. ACA kept the defensive pressure going in the second as the Panthers struggled offensively. The visitors built a 21-10 lead with just over two minutes to go in the second and the score remained for the remainder of the half.

A different Elmore County came out in the third quarter as they made their first three shots from the field to cut the lead to 23-18 in just over a minute. By comparison, the Panthers only made two shots from the floor in the entire first half. Campbell Hammett scored to make the score 25-18, but Elmore County responded with six straight points to cut the lead to one with 3:25 left in the third. ACA never led by more than six points for the rest of the game, but also never allowed the Panthers to take the lead. Hammett and Sam Burgess both made shots late in the third to give the Eagles a 31-28 lead after three.

The Panthers scored on their opening possession of the final period to make the score 31-30. After the initial basket neither team scored for more than two minutes until Sam Burgess knocked down a three for a four-point lead. Addison Smith had a steal and score on the next play to build the biggest lead of the half, 36-30. Mary Rachel Hunt had a put back scored sandwiched between two Elmore County scores to give ACA a 38-34 lead with 3:06 left in the game. The second drought of the game hit as the next point wasn’t scored until Elmore County made a free throw with 20 seconds left in the game. Smith made two freebies with 4.9 seconds left to seal the 40-35 victory.

Adalyn Newkirk’s 11 points, all in the first half, led the team. She also recorded eight rebounds and three steals. Addison Smith had 10 points with a team-high nine rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Campbell Hammett finished with eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists while Sam Burgess had seven points and four rebounds.

Levi Summers' Buzzer Beater Lifts Eagles Over Autauga Academy

For the second time this week the script read the same way for Alabama Christian and Autauga Academy. ACA handled the Generals easily in the JV boys and Varsity girls games, but the Varsity boys game was a thriller that gave the Eagle faithful palpitations. ACA trailed by one with 5.5 seconds left in the game and had to go the length of the court. The ball was inbound to Levi Summers who drove the floor, pulled up from three, and hit the winner as the buzzer sounded.

Boys

Both teams worked on defenses specifically designed to stop the two top scorers from Tuesday night’s game. Both teams planned worked and others were forced to step up and deliver offensively. Autauga Academy scored the first four points of the game but ACA (4-5) quickly tied it up and neither team led by more than three points for the rest of the first period. In the second quarter, an Ethan Capps basket gave the Eagles a 16-15 lead. However, the Generals scored the final six points of the quarter for their biggest lead of the half, 21-16.

The offense continued to sputter in the third which allowed Autauga to build a 10-point lead, 35-25, with just under three minutes left in the third. ACA closed the quarter with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to three points after three. Mason Henry connected on back to back shots for the first five points of the run while Noah Shack, Christian Snipes, and Ethan Capps scored the other points. The home team held ACA at arms length for most of the fourth quarter as they built a six-point lead on three different occasions. The last time with was with about three minutes left to play and the Generals decided to slow things down and run some clock. ACA took advantage when they did decide to shoot with timely rebounding. Capps scored to cut the lead to 43-47 and after another Generals missed shot Levi Summers hit a three from the top of the key to cut the margin to one point. As the clock ticked under a minute, AJ Shannon came up with a steal and found Summers for another three opportunity. Although the sophomore missed, Snipes was there for the put back to give Alabama Christian the lead, 48-47, with 50 seconds left to play. After missing yet again, the Generals had to foul to force free throws and finally sent ACA to the line with 14.6 seconds left. The Eagles missed both free throws and to make matters worse fouled Autauga’s best player with 5.5 seconds left to go. The senior guard made both to set up the heroics from Summers. He did not disappoint as he stunned a rowdy student section into silence with the dagger from deep and the 51-49 victory.

Christian Snipes led the team with 14 points along with nine rebounds. Levi Summers recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 boards while Ethan Capps contributed 11 points and five rebounds.

Girls

The girls game on Friday night was not as pleasing to the eye as Tuesday’s contest, but the result was the same. The game was sloppy and riddled with turnovers. The score was still 4-2 more than halfway through the first quarter before the Generals finally melted under the defensive pressure of ACA. The Lady Eagles built a nine-point lead after a quarter and shut the home team out in the second for a 25-5 halftime lead. Like Tuesday, the backups logged important minutes in the second half. ACA continued to pull away as they led by thirty-five after three. The fourth quarter was over in a blink as the clock ran continuously even through free throws and timeouts. The final margin of victory was 50-12.

Campbell Hammett was the only Eagle in double figures as six other players scored between four and six points. The senior finished with 14 points with nine steals, seven rebounds, and three assists. Adalyn Newkirk had six points, four steals, and three rebounds. Addison Smith had five points with four steals while Sam Burgess also scored five points with ten steals and four rebounds.

Alabama Christian Sweeps Autauga Academy at Home

Both the boys and girls varsity teams stopped losing streaks as they defeated the visiting Generals from Autauga Academy on Tuesday night. The girls team won convincingly 66-10 while the boys won an exciting match up 63-59.

Boys

After the JV boys and varsity girls rolled easily by Autauga Academy, the ACA faithful might have thought the nightcap would be a breeze as well. However, the Generals came to play and the game was hard fought throughout. After Christian Snipes scored the first basket of the game, Autauga Academy punched the Eagles right in the mouth with 14 straight points over a three minute stretch. The Generals hit 5 of 6 shots in the run for the 14-2 lead. Ethan Capps and Alex Heilman combined for the final six points of the quarter to cut the deficit to eight points after one. ACA trimmed the General lead to one point twice during the second but could never surge ahead. ACA outscored the visitors 17-13 in the quarter but trailed 25-29 at the half.

The Eagles scored on its first three possessions of the second half to take a 33-29 lead less than two minutes into the period. The lead was never larger than four points for either side during the third as Autauga Academy led 46-42 headed to the final quarter. Two quick scores by Christian Snipes tied the game 46-46 less than a minute into the fourth. The Generals answered and built their biggest lead of the half, 53-48, with five minutes left to play. ACA responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to lead 57-53. Four different players, Snipes, Noah Shack, Levi Summers, and Ethan Capps, scored in the run. The Generals tied it 59-59 with less than two minutes left. Capps put ACA ahead to stay as he drove the right side for a layup and a 61-59 lead with 1:01 left in the game. Snipes added two free throws with 23.4 seconds left to clinch it, 63-59.

Christian Snipes led all scorers with 25 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Ethan Capps scored 22 points as he stepped up in a much needed second scorer role on offense. Levi Summers finished with nine points and a team-high 13 rebounds.

Girls

Alabama Christian dominated from the opening tip as they led 28-0 after one and scored the game’s first 31 points. The team had a season high 19 assists as they ran the floor and looked for the open teammate. Eleven different girls scored during the game. The Generals got on the board a minute into the second quarter and trailed 38-6 at the half. The starters saw very little floor time in the second half as the backups gained valuable experience. ACA led 53-8 after three and the final score was 66-10.

Adalyn Newkirk outscored the opponent with 17 points and added seven rebounds. Addison Smith had 11 points, four steals, three rebounds, and three assists. Campbell Hammett finished with 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists.

ACA Wins One and Loses One to Finish Week

Alabama Christian (2-2) won two out of three this week as they beat Holtville on Thursday and lost at PCA on Friday after a win over LAMP on Tuesday. The Eagles defeated Holtville 51-41, at least we think that was the final score as the official operating the scoreboard had everyone guessing the score most of the night. They finished the week with an underwhelming performance in a 31-71 loss to PCA.

Holtville

Neither team gained a decided advantage in the first quarter as the lead was never more than three points for either side until the visiting Bulldogs scored to make it 13-8 with just under a minute to go in the period. A Holtville 3-pointer two minutes into the second gave the visitors their biggest lead of the night, 16-8. Despite both offenses struggling, ACA managed to outscored the Bulldogs 7-2 over the remainder of the quarter to cut the deficit to two points, 16-18, at the half. AJ Shannon and Mason Henry both scored three points in the run.

Both teams found offense in the locker room as a different game broke out in the second half. ACA outscored Holtville 20-16 in the third quarter. The Eagles trailed 21-29 with 5:24 left in the third when Coach Hill called timeout to refocus the troops. Whatever adjustments were made worked as Alabama Christian outscored its opponent 15-5 over the rest of the quarter to lead 36-34 after three. Christian Snipes scored 13 points in the quarter to spur the comeback. The momentum carried over into the fourth as ACA built a 45-34 lead with three minutes left in the game. Holtville was stuck at 34 points for seven and a half minutes over the third and fourth quarters. The two teams played even the rest of the way and ACA gained the victory, 51-41.

Christian Snipes led the team with 18 points and added five rebounds. Alex Heilman scored eight points and had a team best ten rebounds and three blocks. Mason Henry added eight points.

PCA

The visit to PCA ended up being one of those nights that you put in the trash and move on. The Eagles never seemed into the game and trailed 0-10 before you could get comfortable in your seat. The deficit was twenty points by the end of the period, 5-25. The home team built a 40-11 lead by halftime. In the second half, PCA did what they do as they continued to press up 38 in the fourth quarter and cry about every call to the officials. The Panther program has long had a reputation for rubbing another team’s nose in it whenever possible and Friday night did nothing to diminish that reputation. The final score was 31-71.

Christian Snipes led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds. Ethan Capps finished with five points. No other player scored more than three points.