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Andalusia overcame a narrow fifth-inning deficit and rallied past Slocomb, 5-1, in the first area baseball game of the season for both teams Tuesday, March 21.

The Bulldogs improved to 12-2 on the season and 1-0 in 4A Area 3. The Red Tops dropped to 9-8 overall and 0-1 in area play.

Cade Birge doubled with two outs in the top of the first and gave SHS an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single from Bryson Brookshire. Wyatt Reeder reached on an error before Cody Walsh retired Evan Sorrells. AHS was unable to take advantage of a defensive miscue with two outs and trailed 1-0 after one inning. Walsh then retired the side on 13 pitches in the second and notched a pair of strikeouts. Garrett Blackston walked and took second on a balk, but Brookshire maintained the lead.

Maddox King had a single in the visiting third and stole second before the inning came to a close. Connor Dalton led off the home half with a single and moved into scoring position as Brookshire put up another scoreless frame for the Red Tops. Walsh worked a quick fourth on just 10 pitches. Jack Lathrop stroked a one-out double, and Blackston followed with a single. Both runners advanced into scoring position with two outs before the Bulldogs were once again held off the scoreboard.

Walsh delivered a 1-2-3 top of the fifth, and Andalusia manufactured the first run off Brookshire. Conner Brooks had a one-out walk and stole second following a flyout. Walsh drove home Brooks with an RBI single through the left side and evened the score at 1-1. Parker Adams kept the inning going with a walk but was forced out at second. Walsh retired all three Slocomb hitters with 11 pitches in the sixth.

Blackston began the bottom of the sixth with a walk and took third on a single by Dylan Jackson. AHS took a 2-1 lead when Blackston hustled home on a wild pitch. Jackson stole second before Noah Curry walked. Dalton then delivered a huge two-run single when Jackson and Curry both scored and stretched the margin to 4-1. Brody Campbell took over on the mound and induced a groundout. Riley Cravey sent Dalton to the plate with an RBI single and capped the scoring. SHS put runners at the corners in the seventh, but Walsh struck out Brady Corbitt looking.

Dalton led the Bulldogs at 2-for-3 with two RBIs and scored a run as Blackston finished 1-for-1 the game. Walsh allowed one earned run on four hits and struck out seven in the complete-game win. King, Birge, Brookshire, and Langham each went 1-for-3 for the Red Tops. Brookshire suffered the loss and gave up five earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts.

The series will conclude on Thursday, March 23, when Andalusia travels to Slocomb beginning at 4:30 p.m.