WEST POINT – When the day began Thursday, Russellville learned they were the No. 1 ranked team in Alabama High School 5A baseball.
Later in the afternoon, the Golden Tigers came into Cullman County and made a statement by shutting out the West Point Warriors 10-0.
The defending state champions are now 15-1 on the season and 2-0 in the first week of Area 14 play. Russellville cooled off the momentum of West Point, who won the Cullman County Tournament last week, dropping the Warriors to 7-3 and 0-2 in the area standings.
Cody Greenhill was as solid as a pitcher can be. The senior for Russellville no-hit West Point, allowing the Warriors only one runner to reach base in a game that was played in 90 minutes.
A walk to Tanner Rusk with one out in the West Point half of the fifth inning broke up the perfect bid by Greenhill. Greenhill then set down the next five batters, three straight on strikeouts as the game ended by the 10-run rule in the sixth.
Russellville gave Greenhill two runs in its half of the first and three in the second to gain control from the batter's box. Landon Oliver drove in three runs for the Tigers with an RBI double in the first and a two-run single in the second.
The Tigers put the game out of reach in the sixth with three runs to make it 10-0 and gave the ball to Greenhill to finish his no-hit performance in the bottom of the frame.
Matt McDonald was charged with the loss for the Warriors. He shut out the Tigers in the third inning and at one point, retired five in a row before a run scored by Russellville in the fourth gave the visitors a 6-0 cushion.
West Point will return to area play in a couple of weeks. The Warriors will play in the Danville Spring Break Tournament, beginning on Monday.
