Hartselle sweeps Cullman to advance to third round

May 1—HARTSELLE — Hartselle took care of business Thursday night, sweeping Cullman in the second round of the Class 6A baseball playoffs.

The No. 5 Tigers defeated the No. 3 Bearcats 5-4 in a walk-off thriller in Game 1 before dominating them 8-1 in Game 2 to clinch the series.

"That first game was so big because I knew whoever lost would have to fight so much adversity because it's hard to get back up after a tough loss like that," Hartselle head coach Brad Phillips said. "We came out in the second game and punched hard and got a second blow in the next inning, and you could tell it deflated them.

"That program (Cullman) is first class and they're a really good team so this is a big win for us."

Hartselle will hit the road next week for the first time this postseason. The Tigers will play the winner of Mountains Brook vs. Pell City.

"We're going to just enjoy having another week together right now, but we spent the first half of our schedule on the road, so we feel like that has prepared us for this," Phillips said.

—

Hartselle 5, Cullman 4: Cain Falciani lives for the big moments.

Just a few months ago, Falciani's last-second touchdown catch led Hartselle football to a comeback win over Jasper. Fast forward to Thursday night, and Falciani delivered in the clutch again, this time hitting sacrifice fly to give Hartselle's baseball team a walk-off win over Cullman in eight innings.

"I feel like I play more focused (when the game is on the line)," Falciani said. "I wouldn't have even been in that spot if my team didn't set me up, so I knew I couldn't let them down."

Falciani's clutch RBI was a fitting conclusion to what was a thrilling Game 1 of the second-round playoff series between Class 6A, No. 5 Hartselle and No. 3 Cullman.

He said the stakes of the game made it slightly better than his game-winning play a few months ago in football.

"This one was better because it's the playoffs and because I freaking hate Cullman," Falciani said. "We're Hartselle; we have to beat them."

Falciani may have won the game, but the Tigers wouldn't have been in a spot to win had it not been for senior Cruise Baker.

Baker tied the game not once, but twice, hitting a two-RBI double in the fifth inning and then a solo-home run in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.

"He threw me a curveball low and away, and then he threw me that fastball," Baker said of his game-tying home run. "I knew I was going to get a good pitch in that count, and I was ready for it."

Carter Lee added two hits, while Carson Stancil led Cullman with two hits, including a home run, and three RBIs.

—

Hartselle 8, Cullman 1: Hartselle scored four runs in the third inning and another three in the fourth to pull away for a dominant win that clinched the playoff series.