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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTEVALLO – While the Montevallo Bulldogs had their fair share of struggles in the final month of the season, losing eight-straight games and missing the playoffs with a 2-4 area record, they closed their season on a massive high note with back-to-back wins in their final two games.

Montevallo defeated the Westminster School at Oak Mountain Knights 11-1 in six innings on Thursday, April 10 before beating the Oneonta Redskins 10-6 on Friday, April 11 as part of senior night in Montevallo.

In the first game of the week against Westminster OM, the Bulldogs went ahead in the bottom of the second, capitalizing off a pair of walks with a Connor Shores RBI double to take a 2-0 lead.

While the next two batters got out, Ethan Juarez singled to add another run to the lead, making it a 3-0 advantage after two innings.

Bentley Howell then capitalized on a one-out single in the bottom of the third for the fourth run of the game.

A Tyre’ontae Sullens single and a Shores walk loaded up the bases for the Bulldogs, and despite taking a pop out on their next at-bat, Ethan Stone drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a 5-0 lead.

Westminster got on the board in the top of the fourth after a lead-off walk from David Sellers turned into a run off a Hughston Nichols fly out, cutting the gap to 5-1.

Zach Shores scored for Montevallo in the bottom of the fourth to restore the five-run lead, and the Bulldogs got two more runs in the bottom of the fifth when an Ethan Juarez hit led to two runs and an 8-1 lead.

Montevallo finished the job in the bottom of the sixth. After two singles in the first three at-bats, a Sullens double gave way to a run off a Connor Shores fly out, making the lead 10-1. A balk by the Knights allowed the final run to cross home plate and snap the Bulldogs’ losing skid.

Howell was 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs and an RBI, Juarez finished 2-for-4 with three RBI and Sullens went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and an RBI.

The next day, Montevallo honored its senior class of Grayson Duckworth, Blaine Graham, Keiston Ross, Connor and Zach Shores, Sullens and Jacob Whitson with a special senior day ceremony.

As for the game itself, Oneonta took the 1-0 lead with a two-out solo shot in the top of the first. That lead grew to 2-0 with a steal of home following a lead-off double and a passed ball in the top of the second.

However, Connor Shores knotted it up in one swing, following up on a Sullens hit by pitch with a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the second. The Bulldogs would load the bases shortly after that but stranded all runners.

The Redskins then got the fourth started with a double before a passed ball and a sacrifice fly allowed them to retake a 3-2 lead.

Oneonta continued to build on its lead in the top of the fifth with a two-run single and another run off an error that grew the lead to 6-2.

Those would be the last runs from the Redskins offense as Montevallo scored six unanswered runs from then on.

After three-straight singles from Duckworth, Ross and Howell to start the bottom of the fifth, Sullens drew a bases-loaded walk to cut the gap to three. Connor Shores then made it a one-run game with a two-run double.

Whitson singled to load up the bases for Graham, who sent a ball to second that Oneonta tried to turn into a double play. The visitors could only get the out at second as Sullens scored to tie the game at 6-6.

Runners on the corners soon became bases loaded when Juarez singled, and the next two Bulldogs batters walked to score the go-ahead runs. While the next batter struck out, Howell scored two more runs with a hit to make the lead 10-6.

That rally paved the way for Montevallo to take the 10-6 win as the bullpen of Sullens and Connor Shores combined to allow just one hit in the final two innings.

Howell, Connor Shores and Whitson each went 2-for-4 as Shores had four RBI and two runs and Howell earned two RBI and a run. Juarez finished 2-for-5 with a run.

The Bulldogs finished their inaugural campaign as a Class 5A team with an 8-12 record as they now look to improve in the offseason and build off their momentum to break back into the playoffs next year.