Evangel sweeps series with Wiregrass to win ACSC state championship

Published 2:44 pm Tuesday, May 6, 2025

By Andrew Simonson

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – The Evangel Christian Lightning are once again champions of the Alabama Christian Sports Conference and did so without a blemish on their record, finishing conference play a perfect 13-0.

Evangel accomplished the feat with a perfect run through the ACSC Tournament, sweeping a two-game series with the Wiregrass Kings on Monday, May 5 at the Evangel Sports Complex by winning game on 5-1 and game two 10-0 in five innings.

The win is the senior class’ third state championship in the last four years and capped the second-straight season that the Lightning have finished ACSC play with an undefeated record.

Their 31-3 record is also the winningest campaign in Evangel coach Tim Smith’s entire coaching career spanning both his time at Cornerstone Christian and ECS.

The Lightning reached the state finals by defeating Tuscaloosa Home Educators in the semifinals 8-2 on Friday, May 2.

After an Asher Evans RBI single gave Evangel the lead in the bottom of the first, the hosts put up four runs in the bottom of the second with an Aidan Cranford RBI single followed by a sacrifice fly and two runs off an error.

That paved the way for Evangel to increase the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth. A Warriors rally in the top of the sixth put two runs across, but the Lightning limited the damage to that and saw out the six-run win.

After rain postponed the championship series to Monday, Wiregrass quickly loaded up the bases in the top of the first off a one-out double, error and a hit batter. However, the Kings could only get one run across off a wild pitch.

Evangel scored five unanswered runs from there and didn’t allow a single Wiregrass run the rest of the series.

The Lightning had to wait until the bottom of the third to cause damage, but after KC Gables walked with two outs in the inning, Zachary Grossman brought him home all the way from first with a double to tie the game at 1-1.

Evans then got hit by a pitch before Grossman stole third and came home on a passed ball to take a 2-1 lead.

Neither team could capitalize on multiple free base runners in the fifth inning, but both Cranfords got aboard to start the bottom of the sixth thanks to a walk and a single.

Both Evangel runners stole bases to get into scoring position, and Hudson Walker scored off an error to put his team up 2-1. Gables walked to keep the rally going, and the lead soon became 5-1 off a Grossman RBI single and a bases-loaded walk by Evans.

That finished off the four-run victory as Evangel worked around a one-out jam that left multiple runners in scoring position to get two of the final three batters out on the first pitches they faced.

Grossman took the win with six strikeouts in 6.1 innings, working around one unearned run off one hit and three walks. He also went 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and a run as the only Lightning batter to earn multiple hits.

Evangel got off to a stronger start in game two, turning a one-two-three inning in the top of the first before a Trey Hope double and Gables single on back-to-back pitches got the hosts in business in the home half of the first.

Grossman got the opening run home on a sacrifice fly, which Evans and Kemp Swords followed up with back-to-back RBI singles. The latter was a bunt single that forced an error from the Wiregrass catcher to make the lead 3-0.

The Cranfords started another rally in the bottom of the second with a double from Caleb and a single from Aidan. Hope hit into a sacrifice fly to make it a 4-0 lead.

After a scoreless third, Evangel immediately loaded up the bases in the bottom of the fourth with a walk, a hit batter and a Hope bunt single. Still with no outs on the board, the Lightning busted the lead wide open over the next four plays.

Gables singled to center to score two runs, and Grossman hit an RBI single on the very next pitch. Evans followed that up with an RBI double, and Swords sent a ball to short that the Kings used to get the force out at third instead of the runner at home, the ninth of the game for the Lightning.

Needing just one more run to finish off the run-rule victory and the state championship, Aidan Cranford drew a five-pitch walk with one out and reached second on a balk and third on a wild pitch. That allowed Hope to score him on an RBI double and seal the 10-0 victory.

Hope was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs while Gables finished 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs and Evans was 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBI. Grossman earned two RBI and a run in a 1-for-2 game.

Evans took the win with a complete-game shutout, allowing just one hit and two walks over the course of five innings and taking five strikeouts.

After the tournament, Grossman was named the ACSC Most Valuable Player before graduating and heading to Wisconsin-Whitewater for baseball.

The Lightning capped off the year with a 31-3 overall record, finishing on a six-game win streak that put the final touches on a perfect 13-0 conference mark.

More Evangel

Evangel outlasts Ezekiel twice to win ACSC softball tournament championship

Evangel finishes ACSC play undefeated with shutout of East Central

Evangel downs Coosa Valley for 25th win of season after surviving Rebels rally

Evangel beats Southern Christian to extend win streak to eight, improve to 17-1 on season

Print Article

SportsPlus

  • Polls

    What would make you consider a digital subscription to Shelby County Reporter?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...