JACKSONVILLE, Alabama — Senior Jackson Henderson drilled a grand-slam home run in the top of the fifth inning to give Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa its first lead of Game 3 in the AHSAA Class 6A State Baseball Championship Series played Jim Case Stadium/Rudy Abbott Field on the campus of Jacksonville State University.
The Patriots (32-13) pulled out a 7-6 win over Hartselle High School in Game 3 to capture the school’s fourth state championship overall and their first since 2016 in the process.
Henderson shouldered an enormous role in the finals. He started on the mound and pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing six hits, six runs and struck out six. He also finished 3-for-4 in the deciding game – collecting a single in the seventh inning to move teammate Jameson Farley into scoring position. Hillcrest’s Brooks Tunnell drove in the winning run with a sacrifice fly.
And third baseman Noah Latham moved to the mound when Henderson reached his pitch count limit close out the final four outs to get the save.
Hartselle (33-11) took the early lead in Game 3 with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Lawson Williams drove in Brody Leathers in the bottom of the first inning. Hillcrest’s Henderson struck out two to get out of the inning without any further damage.
Henderson came to the plate in the top of the second inning and ripped a liner off the left-field fence for a long single. He scored on a two-out single to left by Gunnar Hobson. Hartselle starting pitcher Landon Blackwood got out of the inning thanks to two runners being thrown out trying to steal second base.
Asher Doepel and Leathers each drove in a run in the bottom of the second inning to Hartselle on top again 3-1. Hillcrest battled back to score one run when Brooks Tunnell singled in Caleb Kelly. Blackwood pitched out of the jam, however, with the Patriots leaving the bases full.
Hillcrest mounted a threat again in the top of the fifth with lead-off hitter Kahden Smith drawing a walk, Jameson Farley following with a sharp hit up the middle, and Evan Williams walked. With the bases full, Miles went to his bullpen bringing in Cole Miles. Blackwood pitched four innings, allowed six hits, and struck out three.
Henderson came to the plate and greeted the reliever by slamming a grand slam home run over the left-field fence to give the Patriots their first lead of the game, 6-3. In fact, it was their first lead since winning Game 1 of the series on Thursday. The homer traveled 392 feet and came off the Henderson’s bat at 102 mph, according to JSU’s measuring apparatus.
Hartselle roared back quickly, however. Cam Palahach drilled a high bouncing single to left with the bases full to drive in two runs cutting Hillcrest’s lead to 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth. The Patriots turned a double play and Henderson got the final out of the inning with a strikeout – stranding the potential tying run at third base. Hartselle tied the game with single run in the bottom of the sixth setting up the exciting finish.
Henderson earned MVP honors for the Patriots. Head coach Mark Garner said his team struggled early this season but came together thanks to a team-oriented unselfish approach.
“It is only fitting that we got the final run on a sacrifice fly,” he said.
He also said he and his team were honored to play Hartselle, who played the series this week after their beloved Hall-of-Fame head coach William Booth passed away after an extended illness. The Tigers won nine state championships during Booth’s tenure as head coach and posted more than 1,200 wins.
Latham also had two hits, and Tunnell had one hit and two RBIs.
Leathers had one hit, scored two runs, and had two RBIs for Hartselle, coached by Booth’s assistant head coach Jake Miles. Palahach also had two hits and two RBIs, and Witt Crisler had two hits and scored two runs in the final game.
The 6A series was the sixth of seven series that went all three games this a week – a first for the AHSAA state baseball finals since moving to the neutral site format in 2000.