FAIRHOPE, Ala. –The Pirates chipped back into an early Robertsdale lead to win the tie-breaker game 9-8 at Volanta Park Saturday. The game-three win gives Fairhope the series edge in case of a post-season tie with RHS in the final Class 6A Area 3 standings.
Peyton Galich got the win on the mound for FHS while Joey Wirtes delivered three doubles including the winning run for the Pirates.
The third game was delayed for rain in the top of the second inning with RHS leading 5-0. After play resumed the Bears added one in the second and two more in the third while the Pirates scored one in the second. FHS then scored twice in the fourth, again in the fifth and four times in the sixth to take the 9-8 lead for good.
Trailing 6-0, FHS got a run in on an RBI single by Kyle Bayley to score Mason Lockhart. Wirtes led off the fourth with his first of three doubles in the game. He and Lockhart scored on back-to-back fielders choices. In the fifth Lockhart doubled in Wirtes and Corey Childress to cut the lead to 8-5.
In the top of the sixth RHS left two men on base after Dylan Nelson walked and Tony Kucera doubled but were both stranded.
Daniels led off the Pirate sixth with a walk, Rip Merrit singled and Jerrod Hathcock singled in Daniels. An RBI single by William Roh made it a one-run game and a sacrifice fly by Galich tied it 8-8. A walk by Sam Sundbeck put Galich at second and Wirtes’ third double scored the winning pitcher for what would be the winning run.
The Bears won game one at Robertsdale behind Kucera’s 4-0, complete-game shutout Friday night.
Kucera got the shutout win in game one Friday on four scattered hits and 12 strike outs. He got offensive support from Tyler Reeves (two singles), Austin Keith (a double) and Chad Broussard and Will Carnley who each singled. Fairhope’s Bailey Daniels, Kyle Bayley, Corey Childress and Hathcock each reached with a single off Kucera.
In the opener Saturday (second of the series) the game ended early with a 13-1 Fairhope victory with Robinson the winner. The junior got the win on a three-hit , one run performance with four strikeouts. The Pirates took an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first then piled on eight runs in their side of the second and two more in the fourth.
William Roh had a grand slam on a four-RBI swing. Wirtes—who leads the Pirates in home runs— had a solo shot, Robinson drove in two runs himself while Daniels and Sundbeck delivered two hits each. Alex Baggett, Lockhart and Sundbeck each had an RBI.