Madison Academy advances in baseball playoffs

MADISON – Freshman Chase Harris-Lambert set the tone for the pitching staff with six-plus innings in the first game, sophomore reliever Drew Holder shut the door to end both games, the defense showed out and the offense mixed some timely hits with “small ball.’’

It all added up to a doubleheader sweep of visiting Boaz as Madison Academy advanced to the Class 5A North Sub-State baseball third round following 4-3 and 5-0 wins Thursday at Mike Good Field.

Harris-Lambert was relieved by Holder with the starter two outs shy of a complete-game win in the opener. Holder tossed three innings for his second save in relief of sophomore starter Weston Todd in Game 2.

Mustang pitchers sprinkled 13 hits and one earned run over the 14-inning total. In both games combined, Madison Academy committed one error, had two straight key RBI-bunt singles in the opener, and three run-scoring doubles in the nightcap.

“We sent a freshman out in Game 1 with Chase Harris-Lambert giving us that much on the mound,’’ Madison Academy head coach Pressley said. “He was really aggressive, did a good job of staying in the zone and handed it off (to Holder).

“And we played great defense, too. I mean, we probably had more non-routine plays than we’ve had in any one game.’’

The Mustangs (25-12) will travel to Moody (25-7) in a best-of-three quarterfinal series. The Blue Devils swept Sipsey Valley 4-0, 6-2 to advance. The season ended for Boaz (24-11).

The Madison Academy-Moody winner plays either American Christian or today’s Game 3 winner between East Limestone and Lincoln.

Madison Academy 4, Boaz 3 (G1): Mustangs No. 9 hitter Anderson Reece and leadoff man Pearson Blue had back-to-back, run-scoring bunt singles to tie the game at 2-all in the bottom of the second. The two runners had advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Cole Norton batting in the eighth spot.

Down by a run in the fifth, Truett Austin delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Mustangs ahead for good. Blue totaled two hits, and Chris Whetstone added two hits and Moore had a run-scoring double

Winning pitcher Harris-Lambert went 6.1 innings, allowing seven hits with three runs but just one earned, while striking out four and walking one. Holder allowed one hit and struck out four in a scoreless 0.2 innings.

Sage Bennett had a double among four hits for Boaz in Game 1 and added a hit in the shutout loss.