Cullman’s boys tennis team now has some hardware to go with its undefeated record.
The Bearcats hit the road for Alexander City Friday and made their way home Saturday with a tournament trophy in tow after sweeping Sylacauga, Benjamin Russell, Chelsea and Sylacauga in the final.
As has been the case so far this spring, Cullman didn’t drop a single set the entire weekend.
The Black and Gold’s singles lineup features No. 1 Donnie Camp, No. 2 Hunter Manley, No. 3 Connor Boresin, No. 4 Jacob Lambert, No. 5 Check Freeman and No. 6 Parker Adams. Coach Jerry Mason said Drew Fillinger and Blake Spradlin also contributed to two “big” doubles wins.
PREP BASEBALL
The Bearcats split a pair of Saturday road games in the Birmingham-Huntsville Challenge, beating the Panthers and later falling 8-7 to Hazel Green after clawing back and taking the lead with three runs in the top of the seventh.
Owen Lovell took the decision over Mississippi State commit Graham Ashcraft in the first game, scattering three strikeouts a walk, three hits and an unearned run over six innings. Jacob Heatherly worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with a strikeout and double play to notch the save.
Ashcraft fanned four and allowed two hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Caleb Lipsey and Levi Thomas had Cullman’s only two hits. Noah Fondren and Heatherly had RBIs, and Fondren, Lovell and Carson Freeman each scored. Lovell also stole two bases.
Heatherly tagged the Trojans for his second home run in as many days and finished with a pair of RBIs and runs. Thomas (double, RBI, run) went 3 for 4, and Kolby Robinson (two runs) and Wheeler Eastman (double, RBI) both had two hits.
Other offensive contributors against Hazel Green included Carter Bowen (two RBIs), Noah Fondren (hit, RBI, run) and Lovell (hit, run).
Lovell, Robinson, Fondren, Heatherly and Thomas stole bases.
Fondren started, Chayton Grimmett struck out two in an inning of one-hit relief, and Robinson took the loss after going 2 1/3 innings in his first pitching appearance.
The Birmingham-Huntsville Challenge will return to Cullman Monday when the Bearcats (1-2) host Sparkman.
In other action, Fairview improved to 3-2 with victories over Oneonta (16-10) and Boaz (4-2) on Day 2 of the Sand Mountain Classic.
West Point, meanwhile, opened its 2016 season with a doubleheader sweep of Parker (10-5, 13-4), while Cold Springs split a pair of contests. The Eagles (1-3) defeated Cordova 7-1 but fell to Dora 9-8.