It was a tale of two games for Andalusia as the Bulldogs split with Brewbaker Tech in a doubleheader on Friday at home.

AHS (4-3) wasn’t completely focused on the task at hand in a 5-4, 9-inning game one loss. The home team regrouped for the night cap, where the Bulldogs put together one good inning on offense while playing a better game in a 7-1 win to get the split.

Bulldogs coach Tyler Dent said the boys put together a better effort in game two.

“We played seven innings of focused baseball in the second game,” Dent said. “I didn’t real think they were focused the whole first game. I thought we came out a little flat.

“We responded well (in the second game) to that first game (loss),” he said. “It could’ve been easy to throw your hands up and say let’s not play that second game. It was a total team effort.”

One constant for the Bulldogs throughout the twin bill was their pitching.

Daniel Henderson earned the win in game two as he gave up one run on two hits in five innings while striking out four.

Players watching from the dugout late in the closer said Evans Barnes’ two innings on the mound was “b-e-a-utiful.”

It sure was as Barnes struck out three and allowed one hit in two innings for the save.

In game one, AHS threw four separate pitchers.

Ross Graham started and went five strong innings to only allow two runs on five hits and striking out four. Jud Rogers came in during the sixth and had a great outing to strike out three.

After Rogers, Brayden Burkhardt pitched one inning (the seventh) and Quinton Maddox pitched the final two.

Andalusia led 4-2 going into the top of the seventh inning, but the Rams tied it up on a ground out and a double.

When asked why he decided to not keep throwing Rogers after the sixth inning, Dent said it was because of the pitch count.

“We’re not throwing our guys 100 pitches,” he said. “Ross might have thrown 71 pitches. Jud Rogers came in and did a good job of throwing strikes. Brayden came in and did a good job throwing strikes.”

Dent said the pitchers threw good all day, despite the split.

“I can’t really say enough about what coach (Matt) Mellown has done with those guys,” he said.

Andalusia will be back in action today at home against rival Straughn.

There will be four games played today — two junior varsity and two varsity —starting at 11 a.m. with the JV squad.

Dent said he’s hoping to get the varsity games started by 4 p.m.

Andalusia 7, Brewbaker Tech 1 (Game 2)

Andalusia’s Grayson Campbell hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to help lead a five-run fourth inning for the Bulldogs.

Soon afterward, Maddox hit a two-run double to give the Bulldogs their 7-1 lead.

Brandon Smith went 2-for-4 with a double and a run; Rogers went 2-for-4; Campbell went 1-for-3; and Maddox went 1-for-3.

Brewbaker Tech 5, Andalusia 4 in 9 innings (Game 1)

Rams first baseman Corn Madison hit the game-winning RBI double in the top of the ninth inning to push Brewbaker Tech ahead 5-4.

As the game went along, the Bulldogs didn’t make the routine plays and weren’t focused, Dent said.

Brewbaker Tech’s two runs in the seventh for a 4-4 tie came off of Jack Hudson’s RBI ground out and Wade Bannister’s RBI double to right center field.

The Rams got on board first in the second inning with two runs. Ryan Smith scored on a fielder’s choice and center fielder Owen Reese hit an RBI single to score Bannister.

Andalusia, who had only tallied two hits through the first three innings, was looking for some connection in the fourth.

The Bulldogs got it when Graham hit an RBI double to score Hunter Earnest, and Campbell scored on a baulk to get the game at 2-2.

AHS took a 4-2 lead in the sixth when Campbell scored on a fielder’s choice, and Smith hit in Peyton Maddox on a fly out to center.

Campbell went 3-for-4 with two runs to lead AHS. Smith, Rogers, Quinton Maddox, Graham and Peyton Maddox paced the Bulldogs with one hit each.