HANCEVILLE – Coming into the AHSAA state baseball playoffs with eight consecutive losses, the Oakman Wildcats were not fazed that they had only 10 wins against 18 defeats, taking on a Hanceville ball club that had an .818 winning percentage in the final four weeks of the regular season.
Oakman took the attitude of the playoffs being a new season and was able to take momentum away from Hanceville, sweeping the first round of the 3A playoff series 5-1 and 6-4 Friday evening.
Late inning magic lifted the Wildcats in both games. Oakman got the lead for good in the opener with a run in the top of the fifth inning and added three more runs to gain insurance and grab a 1-0 lead in the best of three game series with the champion from Class 3A, Area 10.
The fifth inning in the nightcap proved to be vital for Oakman and painful for Hanceville. Oakman sent four runs home, taking advantage of a balk and two errors and never trailed again.
Hanceville built an undefeated record of 4-0 in the last month at home, showing what it took to be the best in its area.
But the day turned out to be a long one Friday for Hanceville when the playoff host had to put in work to get the field ready for the playoff series.
A thunderstorm hit the ball park around 3:30 p.m. with hail seen by those who were getting ready for the series to start at 4 p.m.
The brief, but heavy rain soaked the dirt on the infield, turning it into a muddy situation. Once the rain cleared, Hanceville coach Michael Chandler, his assistants and players began to rake the field, also get assistance from a Shop-Vac and plenty of late-afternoon sunshine.
Conditions improved for the opener to start at 5:35 p.m., 95 minutes after the original starting time.
Hanceville was held to three hits in the opener. But an error by Oakman in the fourth allowed Branen Hurst to reach base. He would score the tying run when Isaac Holmes struck out with the bases loaded. The ball bounced off the glove of catcher Tanner Wood and Hurst was home to make the score 1-1.
Oakman then scored the go-ahead run in the fifth against starter Mark Kubia and extended the lead with two in the sixth and a run in the seventh. The Wildcats pounded out nine hits in the game, six in the final three innings.
The only hits for Hanceville off winning pitcher Brayden Hall were two singles from Gaiven Cruce and a seventh inning single by Weissend. Hall got Hurst to ground out to him at the mound to end the opener with two runners aboard. The first game ended in an hour and 50 minutes.
As the home team for the second game, Oakman had a run to cross home in the second and one in the third with Hanceville having problems fielding and throwing the ball. An error in each inning allowed the Wildcats to move in front.
However, Hanceville took matters into its own hands during the fourth. Hurst doubled in Weissend to get the Bulldogs on the board. Hurst dashed home moments later when Cruce's grounder at short was thrown by the first baseman for an error.
Kaine Yates got hit by a pitch from CJ Hall and would move around the bases by the throwing error and score on a grounder to first base off the bat of Isaac Holmes. Hanceville was ahead for the first time in the contest at 3-2.
The Bulldogs made it 4-2 in their side of the fifth on a single by Weissend with two outs and a run-scoring double by Hurst.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, Hurst was unable to keep the Wildcats under control. Oakman started the fifth with a double, a single, safe on an error at first and a balk by Hurst that tied the game with no outs.
Run-scoring singles from Wood and Jonah Trotter snapped the tie and Oakman was up 6-4 with the four-run fifth inning.
Hurst retired Oakman in the sixth to give the Bulldogs a chance when they came to the plate in the seventh. With one out, Josh Stanley was hit by a pitch then the Wildcats mishandled Alex Campbell's grounder at short.
Oakman coach Kenny Gilliam decided to walk Weissend intentionally to set up a possible double play that would get them out of the inning.
Hurst grounded to third base with the throw coming home that forced out Stanley for the second out.
Hall then got a 2-2 pitch on the outside corner to Kubia for a called third strike and the Hanceville baseball season was done. Hall gave up four hits, four runs, two walks and struck out nine.
Area 9 had gotten the best of Area 10 in round one of the 3A playoffs. Winfield had no trouble with Vinemont, romping over the Eagles 18-0 and 24-0.
That sets up a playoff rematch between Oakman and Winfield next weekend with the series to be at Winfield.
Hanceville ends the season at 17-12, losing its last three games after coming into playoff week with four wins in its last five decisions. The Bulldogs won the Area 10 title for the last two seasons.
