Oak Mountain’s baseball team moved one step closer to an area championship with two wins over Spain Park High School, 5-4 and 8-0, on April 12 and 14, respectively.

The Eagles (23-8) took the lead in the fifth inning of the first game and held on for the win, then two days later, Jackson Kimbrell shut out the Jaguars (17-14) in a dominant victory.

OMHS now needs two wins over Huffman, which is winless this season in area play, on April 19-20 and some help to claim the area title.

Spain Park, meanwhile, must sweep two games against Mountain Brook on April 19-20 to earn a playoff berth.

On April 12, Oak Mountain scored three runs in the second inning, but SPHS tied the game with three runs in the bottom of the third.

The Eagles took the lead with a run in the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the sixth that was crucial because Spain Park plated a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Landon Cato paced OMHS at the plate, going 3-for-4, while Gene Hurst was 2-for-4 with a run scored and one RBI.

Hunter Hall went 1-for-2 with a walk, two runs and one RBI, and Caleb Ragland doubled and drove in a run.

Hurst was the winning pitcher, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks in six innings while striking out seven.

Colton Ledbetter went 2-for-4 with an RBI for Spain Park, Matthew Moser was 1-for-2 with two RBI and John Kennington went 1-for-2 with a walk.

Jarrod Kennington allowed five runs on 11 hits and two walks in six innings while striking out one, while P.T. Vercher struck out the side in the final inning.

Oak Mountain outhit the Jaguars 10-2 and took advantage of five Spain Park errors for the second win.

Ragland was 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI, Kimbrell went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and both Cato and Hurst went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.

Kimbrell allowed two hits and no walks in seven innings while striking out six.