By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – Jake Morris and Sam Strickland scored on back-to-back singles from Kolby Kwarcinski and Luis Fuentes in the top of the first inning on March 17 for Briarwood in a cross-county game with Oak Mountain to give the Lions an early 2-0 lead. Briarwood later extended its lead to 3-0 in the top of the third, before Oak Mountain ripped off six unanswered runs over the course of the next four innings to get a 6-3 win and move to 12-4 on the year.

Joseph Hartsfield scored in the bottom of the third for the Eagles after Logan Whittlesey walked him and Caleb Floyd later grounded out to score Hartsfield from third to put Oak Mountain on the board. Jacob Williams scored in the bottom of the fourth as well when Ethan Holsombeck singled to right field, which brought Oak Mountain back to within a run of Briarwood at 3-2.

Two innings later, in the bottom of the sixth, Oak Mountain broke the game open. Still down 3-2, the Eagles ripped off four runs to take a 6-3 lead and held on for the win. Michael Flack, Jake Elkins, Holsombeck and John McDonald all registered hits in the innings, and Garrett DeAraujo reached base safely as well on an error from Fuentes. After Carson Eddy singled in the top of the seventh for Briarwood, Morris, Strickland and Kwarcinski were all retired in successive order as Oak Mountain got the come-from-behind win.

Hartsfield pitched a complete game for Oak Mountain, throwing 106 pitches in seven innings. Hartsfield gave up 10 hits, seven of which came in the first three innings, and three runs while striking out three and walking one. Whittlesey pitched 5.1 innings for Briarwood and threw 75 pitches, giving up seven hits, and striking out five before Michael Hiers came on in the relief effort.

Eddy, Strickland, Kwarcinski and Fuentes each registered two hits on the day to lead Briarwood, while Holsembeck and McDonald each had two for Oak Mountain.

The Eagles advanced to 12-4 with the win while Briarwood lost for just the fourth time all year, falling to 13-4.