Have bat, will travel: Bob Jones seeks offense on road in semifinals

MADISON – Bob Jones has left little margin for error as it seeks to repeat as Class 7A state baseball champions.

The Patriots, however, have done just enough to secure a berth in the Alabama High School Athletic Association tournament semifinals and travel to Tuscaloosa County this week to play a best-of-three series for a spot in the championship.

Bob Jones (36-10) advanced out of the first two rounds by rallying to beat Thompson 2-8, 2-1, 7-6 and edged top-ranked Hewitt-Trussville 1-0, 4-3. Against the Huskies in the second round, the first game went 10 innings and in the second the Patriots didn’t move ahead until the bottom of the sixth.

In those five games, the Patriots have mustered 26 hits. That seems good enough, until you take out a 7-6 win over Thompson when they managed 13 knocks. Otherwise, they’ve had a total of 8 hits in three wins.

“We haven’t hit it the way we wanted to,’’ Bob Jones head coach Jared Ryan said. “It just shows that great teams find ways to win. Some days, you know, you don’t have your best stuff – offensively, defensively, on the mound. Sometimes that happens but, ‘Can you find a way to win?’ ’’

The answer has been a resounding yes, and the defending champions will take their “find a way’’ act on the road this week to Northport. Credit a pitching staff of workhorse Tanner Hermesch along with Cam Martin, Reece Brazeal, Jack Shaw and Josh Wilhide for cobbling together a winning postseason formula.

In last Saturday’s series opener, winning pitcher Hermesch went all 10 innings for the shutout. He allowed seven hits, struck out 12 and walked two. Christian Helmers and Blake Bales combined on a two-hitter for the Huskies.

Outfielder Robert Chatmon walked with one out in the top of the 10th, and scored on a two-out double by center fielder Mason Rinehart.

In the second game, delayed by weather until Monday night, the Patriots, batting as the home team, scored twice to go ahead 4-3 in the sixth. Zach Johnson had two of the Patriots three hits, including an RB-single to tie the game at 3-all. Hermesch, who had the other three RBIs, doubled home the go-ahead run.

Zack Johnson. Cam Martin and Reece Brazeal combined on a six-hitter.

The Patriots now hit the road for the second straight week, this time to take on 10th-ranked Tuscaloosa County. The Wildcats defeated James Clemens 9-4, 4-2 in the opening round and then Hoover 3-2, 1-0.

“Hopefully the bats come around this weekend,’’ Ryan said. “I think we’re due to kind of get rolling back offensively.’’

Monday night, the Wildcats scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the seventh in their series to oust the Bucs when shortstop Ford Traweek singled, stole second and with two outs scored on a single by Colson Mellown. Winning pitcher Dillon Dubose, a left-handed sophomore, threw a four-hitter while striking out five and walking none.

Following the game, video reportedly showed Hoover’s catcher possibly tagging out Traweek before the shortstop crossed the plate. Bucs junior left-hander Will Adams, an LSU commit, struck out 11 and allowed four hits in the loss.

In the 3-2 win, Tuscaloosa County starter Tate Pettus avoided major damage despite allowing nine hits in 5.1 innings. Traweek, who tied the game with a two-run triple in the top of the sixth and scored the winning run on an error, allowed no hits or runs in 1.1 innings.

The Bob Jones-Tuscaloosa County winner will face either Enterprise or Fairhope in the championship round. The final series is set for May 15-16 in Oxford/Jacksonville.

Bob Jones Patriots (36-10) @

Tuscaloosa County (30-12)

What: Class 7A baseball semifinals

Where: Northport

When: Friday, 5 and 7 p.m. (Game 3, Sat., 1 p.m., if needed)

Postseason results: Bob Jones: d. Thompson 2-8, 2-1, 4-3; d. Hewitt-Trussville 1-0, 4-3. Tuscaloosa Co.: d. James Clemens 9-4, 4-2; d. Hoover 3-2, 1-0

Next: State championship round–Game 1 Thurs., May 15, 2 p.m., Choccolocco Park-Oxford; Game 2, Fri., May 16, 4 p.m. and if Game 3, Jacksonville State University

Noteworthy: Bob Jones was ranked No. 2 in the final Alabama Sports Writers Association rankings. Tuscaloosa County was No. 10, Enterprise No. 3 (32-1) and Fairhope No. 5 (31-10). … Patriots are defending 7A champion, the first title in program history. … The Wildcats are making their first appearance in the state semifinals.