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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

JACKSON – The Coosa Valley Rebels found their season on the brink in a 4-2 game one loss to the Jackson Academy Eagles in the second round of the AISA Class A playoffs. However, with their backs against the wall, they rallied to book their place in the Final Four.

Coosa Valley won game two 10-0 ahead of a 20-4 victory in the tiebreaking game three on Wednesday, April 23 at Jackson Academy.

As a result, the Rebels are heading to Paterson Field in Montgomery to face off against the Lakeside School Chiefs on Monday, April 28 at 3 p.m. in the semifinals.

In game two, Coosa Valley took command by capitalizing off three free baserunners in the bottom of the first inning. The Rebels quickly took a 5-0 lead with a Jake McArthur two-run single, Jordin Rogers two-run double and Grayton Willis RBI double.

From there, Coosa Valley rallied again in the third inning after getting two on with one out. Landon Payton secured an RBI double to make it a 6-0 lead before two runners scored on an error off a Sam Setzer ground ball. Jay Chapman capped the sequence with an RBI single to put the visitors up 9-0.

The Rebels then finished the job with a big two-out spot in the bottom of the fifth. After Andrew Weaver drew a walk, he advanced to second on a wild pitch before Brett Hackett brought him home with an RBI double to seal the 10-0 win.

Rogers led the way on offense with a 2-for-3 game with two RBI and two runs while McArthur and Setzer secured a two-RBI game.

Chapman earned the complete-game shutout with seven strikeouts in five innings against three hits while allowing no walks.

That set up a tiebreaking game three which would decide who would advance to the Final Four.

After a single and a walk to start the game, Weaver opened up the lead with an RBI single, and two batters later, Chapman scored during a double play to double up the lead to 2-0.

Jackson Academy cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, capitalizing off a lead-off walk with a one-out RBI single to make it a 2-1 game.

Coosa Valley got another chance to strike with two on and two outs in the top of the second. Chapman got an RBI double before Weaver plated two more runs with double of his own which put the Rebels back in front 5-1.

Two walks and a double gave the Rebels a bases-loaded spot in the top of the third, and after a strikeout, Payton drew a walk to score a run ahead of a bases-clearing RBI double by Setzer that took the lead to 9-1.

Chapman put a second runner aboard with a walk before he and Setzer stole a base to get into scoring position. That allowed both of them to score off a Weaver RBI single and increase the lead to 11-1. Coosa Valley then got hit by two pitches to load up the bases before a bases-loaded walk put it up 12-1.

The Rebels kept the Eagles scoreless in the bottom of the third and sparked another rally with two singles to start the top of the fourth. Chapman and Weaver hit back-to-back RBI singles before Hackett hit an RBI double for the 15-1 lead.

McArthur walked to load up the bases before a bases-loaded hit by pitch and an error plated three more runs off the Jackson miscues. Thomas Mullins then hit an RBI single before Willis scored off a Payton ground ball to secure the 20-1 lead.

The Eagles scored three times in the bottom of the fourth with runs off a passed ball, a grounder to second and an RBI single to cut the deficit to 20-4, but they couldn’t close the gap to within 15 to avoid the run rule.

That gave Coosa Valley the 16-run win in four innings to seal its place in the semifinals.

Weaver was a perfect 4-for-4 with six RBI and two runs, Setzer finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and four runs, Payton went 2-for-3 with a walk, three runs and two RBI and Chapman earned four runs, two RBI and two walks in a 2-for-2 day.

In addition, Willis and Rogers each finished with two RBI in the win.

Hackett took the win with six strikeouts in four innings against four runs, five hits and three walks.