By BY BRUCE HIXON – sports editor
Brewton may have had the first two comebacks, but the third one belonged to Cottage Hill and with it so did the game.
Cottage Hill rallied for three runs in its last at-bat without the aid of a hit to snatch a 9-7 win that knocked Brewton out of the 10-11 state tournament at Jackson Monday.
Brewton was trying to post its first win ever in state competition at the age 10-11 level, but instead went two and out for the third straight year.
Twice in the first two innings Cottage Hill took leads only to have Brewton erase those advantages in the bottom half of those frames.
RBI singles by T.J. Hearn and George Payne gave Cottage Hill a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Brewton matched those runs in the bottom half of the inning. Rob Stokes and Dominique Jackson led off the frame with back-to-back singles. A groundout by Caden Lodge set up a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI groundout by Zac Griffin.
The deadlock did not last long, as an RBI double by Luke Killingsworth and a two-run homer by Landen Presnall put Cottage Hill back in front 5-2.
Brewton roughed up Cottage Hill starting pitcher Keegan Curtis followed by Presnall for five runs in the bottom of the second. Landen Huff was hit by a pitch and went to third on two wild pitches. Paxton Reiss walked and stole second. Huff came home to score when Kieon Smith's infielder grounder was misplayed. Stokes then tied the game at 5-5 with a two-run single.
Brewton added three more consecutive hits to take a 7-5 lead, as Jackson, Lodge and Black all singled. Lodge's and Black's hits drove in runs.
Cottage Hill narrowed the gap to 7-6 in the top of the third when Payne singled, stole second, went to third on a groundout and scored on a wild pitch.
The offenses for both teams dried up after the early outbursts. Brewton racked up six hits the first two innings, but just two more the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Brewton starter Rob Stokes threw back-to-back scoreless frames in the fourth and fifth inning although he escaped jams in both. Cottage Hill left a pair of runners on base in the fourth and stranded the bases loaded for the second time in the game in the fifth.
That would not be the case in the sixth. Stokes walked Chisom in his final batter of the evening and reliever Darby Black walked the only two batters he faced, Presnall and Hearn. Prior to the last walk Presnall stole second and a throwing error on the play allowed Chisom to score the tying run.
Caden Lodge did his best to get out of the jam unscathed. He retired all three batters he faced, but two of those batters, Payne and Kyle Coley, hit sacrifice flies that scored Presnall and Hearn to give Cottage Hill a 9-7 lead.
At Jackson
Cottage Hill 231 003 - 9 9 2
Brewton 250 000 - 7 8 4
Russellville 5, Brewton 2
Russellville pitcher Luke Harris used his arm and his bat to lead his team to a 5-2 win over Brewton in Saturday's opening round.
Harris allowed just three hits and struck out eight in a complete game effort. He also walked, belted a two-run homer, singled and scored two runs.
The number five through nine batters in the Brewton lineup were a combined 0-for-11 and all eight of Harris' strikeouts came through those spots in the lineup.
Brewton got off to a good start, as it took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Rob Stokes singled, went to second on a passed ball, to third on a groundout and scored on another groundout, this one by Dominique Jackson.
Jackson threw two scoreless frames before Russellville batted all the way through its lineup and touched him for three decisive runs in the bottom of the third.
Aaron Fischer singled, but was erased on a fielder's choice on a groundball hit by Tyler Childers. Harris then helped his own cause with a two-run homer that gave Russell a 2-1 lead it never relinquished.
Russellville added another run later in the inning when Andrew Bolton walked and Will Hester doubled him home.
Brewton trimmed its deficit to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Darby Black doubled and two passed balls allowed courtesy runner Trey Salter to score.
Russellville got a pair of runs against Brewton relievers Darby Black and Kieon Smith over the final two frames.
Andrew Bolton walked and scored on Will Hester's double in the fifth that made it 4-2. Russellville picked up its other run in the sixth when Harris singled, Isaac Fleming was hit by a pitch, Hester walked and Jesse Vincent hit into a fielder's choice.
At Jackson
Russellville 003 011 - 5 5 1
Brewton 100 100 - 2 3 3