By BY BRUCE HIXON – SPORTS EDITOR
It may have been a showdown for first place in the Brewton Advanced Babe Ruth League on paper, but that was not case on the field where the Angels routed the Braves 11-0 in just five innings Friday at T.R. Miller High School.
It was a quick turnaround for the Angels, who entered Friday's game tied with the Braves with identical 3-1 league marks, after they suffered a 10-run rule loss to the Diamondbacks 24 hours earlier.
Speaking of the Diamondbacks, they are all of a sudden the league's hottest team. The Diamondbacks, who went winless the first time through the regular season league, posted their second straight 10-run rule victory Friday with a 13-2, six-inning thrashing of Flomaton.
The Diamondbacks (2-3 in league play) moved a game ahead of Flomaton (1-4) for sole possession of third place and to within a game of the second place Braves (3-2).
Angels 11, Braves 0
Mackie Jackson hurled a complete game two-hitter with a pair of strikeouts to pace the Angels (4-1 in league play). The only blemishes against Jackson were a leadoff single by Jacob Cannon in the first inning and a one-out double by Tyler Nall in the fourth.
Jackson had all the run support he needed before even took the mound in the bottom of the first inning, as the Angels scored twice in the top of the first inning against losing hurler Derek Busby.
Tanner Shehan and Corey Williams both walked. Shehan later scored on a wild pitch, while Williams scored on an RBI single by Seth Holland.
The Angels later tacked on three runs in the second, fourth and fifth innings to end the game early.
Shehan, Jonathan Taylor, Jackson and Christopher Griffin all added RBI singles for the Angels. Sam Sharpe drew a bases load walk, one of seven free passes Braves pitching dished out.
Diamondbacks 13, Flomaton 2
Josh Sawyer came within an out of throwing a complete game, five-hit shutout before Flomaton strung together a walk and three straight hits in the bottom of the seventh to spoil it.
Four of the Diamondbacks' 10 hits went for triples, which included a two-run, three-bagger by Tyler Brown in the fourth inning and a two-run triple by Jake Hodge in a five-run sixth inning that kicked the 10-run rule into effect.
Casey Butts had a single to go along with a triple, while Jake Dixon also tripled.
Josey Brown followed up a three-hit game against the Angels the day before with two more singles. Sawyer helped his own cause with a pair of singles and an RBI. Tyler Cross had a single and a pair of RBI, while Michael Boyd also picked up a single.
Andrew Bolen had an RBI triple and Taylor Berry added an RBI single for Flomaton in the bottom of the seventh that ended Sawyer's shutout bid.
Chris Edwards took the loss for Flomaton, which committed eight errors.
Thursday's games
Diamondbacks 15, Angels 5
The Diamondbacks had scored just eight runs in their first three league games, all losses, but they nearly doubled that output in a 15-5, six-inning win over the previously unbeaten Angels.
Diamondbacks starting hurler Josey Brown allowed five hits with four strikeouts in five and one-third innings to pick up the win. Brown also led his team at the plate with a single, two doubles and three RBIs.
The Angels committed six errors, five of which came in a six-run third inning when the Diamondbacks stretched their lead from 3-1 to 9-1.
Josh Sawyer added a pair of singles for the winner, while Jake Dixon added a two-run double. Jake Smith contributed an RBI double.
The Angels were led by Will Waters, who had a single, a double and two RBIs. Corey Williams had the only other extra base hit for the Angels, a double.
Jonathan Taylor suffered the loss for the Angels, as he allowed six runs in two and one-third innings of work, which included four strikeouts.
Braves 13, Flomaton 2
The Braves sent a dozen batters to the plate in a seven-run, top-of-the first inning and never looked back in a six-inning win over Flomaton.
Six of the Braves first inning runs were unearned, as Flomaton committed four of its seven errors in that frame.
Despite the quick start, the Braves managed just one more run until the top of the sixth inning when they racked up their final five runs and kicked the 10-run rule into effect.
John Mathieu and Grant DeFrancisco both had a pair of singles to pace the Braves' attack, while Jimmy Conner added a two-run single.
William Shell allowed one run on three hits with five strikeouts over the first three innings to get the win. James Hamric added a couple of scoreless frames with three strikeouts in relief.
Flomaton starting pitcher Jesse Ross suffered the loss, as he was unable to retire any of the five batters he faced in the opening inning.
Sam Mize and Tyler Coleman had RBI singles for Flomaton.