BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — With a coveted playoff spot hanging in the balance, both Auburn High School and Opelika High School faced a huge step toward qualifying for the postseason on April 10.
For now, OHS remains in the driver’s seat for a runner-up area finish after a 9-4 afternoon defeat and 11-5 nighttime victory against AHS. That split came a day after the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs 3-0 in Opelika.
Following last Thursday’s results, the Bulldogs are now 21-11 overall and 3-3 in 7A Area 4. The Tigers are now 15-15 and 2-4 in 7A Area 4.
Game One
Early on in the first game of the evening, it appeared OHS would avenge the previous night’s defeat with an early offensive explosion.
While it was the Tigers who opened the scoring in the first inning with a single run, the Bulldogs built a 3-1 lead after scoring three runs in the second inning.
After holding AHS scoreless in the bottom of the second, OHS extended its lead to 4-1 in the third inning with a single run.
However, the Tigers, who sought to earn a second-straight victory over the Bulldogs, virtually erased that advantage with two runs in their very next at-bat.
The tide turned for good in the fourth inning when AHS took the lead with three runs, and then sealed the victory with another three runs in the sixth inning.
Antwane Daniels led the Tigers with two runs batted in, while Ryan Farr, Britt Farr, Brady Sack, Bryson Sheppard and Weston Luther each recorded one RBI.
Tristian Arnold paced the Bulldogs with two RBIs, and Bryce Turnham and Slade Clayton both got on the scoresheet with one RBI apiece.
Game Two
The second matchup of the evening ultimately proved to be a back-and-forth affair as the two teams traded runs.
Offensive fireworks started immediately after OHS emphatically scored three runs in their first at-bat of the game. However, AHS did its best to keep pace with a single run of its own in the bottom of the first.
However, the Bulldogs started building on its advantage after a scoreless second inning with three runs in the bottom of the third before the Tigers added two more runs of their own.
With another scoreless inning in the books and OHS up 6-3 entering the fifth inning, the Bulldogs and Tigers matched each other’s ambitions with two runs apiece.
Then, with OHS up 8-5 entering the sixth inning, the Bulldogs blew the game open and grabbed complete control with three runs that virtually ended any hopes for a late AHS rally.
Lawson Hare exploded with four RBIs for the Tigers, and Lucas Hall added a single RBI.
Titus Hudson and Arnold led the Bulldogs with three and two RBIs, respectively, while Carson Holcey, Caleb Peoples and Davis Ford each recorded one RBI.
What’s Next
Both OHS and AHS will complete their regular season schedules this week.
The Bulldogs were scheduled to travel to Central High School to play their final road game on April 16 and to host the Red Devils for a doubleheader on April 17. CHS is currently 27-7 and 5-0 in 7A Area 4, which is good for first place.
The Tigers were set to travel to Smiths Station High School to play their final road game on April 16 and to host the Panthers for a doubleheader on April 17 at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. SSHS is currently 12-22 and 1-4 in 7A Area 4, which is good for last place.
The results from both series will determine who advances to the playoffs. Final scores were unavailable at press time.
