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After two very different — but very close — area playoff games, the Andalusia Bulldogs saw its season come to an end against Faith Academy Friday night.

The first game of the series was a high-scoring affair with a total of 27 runs scored between both teams. Only seven runs were scored in the second game, but in both, Andalusia came up one run short.

With the losses, the Bulldogs end the season with an overall record of 13-11-1.

Game 1: Andalusia 13, Faith Academy 14
Andalusia held a six-run advantage at one point during the first area tournament game, but could not hold on to the lead as the Rams scored a total of eight runs in the final three innings, including the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh. Andalusia had the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t only advance him as far as third base.

A couple of walks and two singles in the top of the first helped Faith Academy to an early lead, 2-0.

Andalusia got on the board in the bottom of the second, scoring three runs to take the lead. Kielan Davis got things going with a lead-off single and Connor Ray singled with one out. With two outs, Riley Cravey singled to bring in Neilex Ferrell, who was pinch running for Davis. Asher Bentley kept the inning going by getting hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Ray came home on a wild pitch and that was followed by a walk to Row Thorn. The go-ahead run came home on another Ram wild pitch, giving Andalusia a 3-2 edge.

Faith Academy came right back to start the third, scoring four runs on two singles and two doubles to jump back on top, 6-3.

In the bottom of the third, Andalusia got its offense going again with lead-off batter Grover Wells reaching on a walk and Will Dalton reaching on an error. Those runners advanced to second and third on a Davis sacrifice. Landen Butler came through with a single that scored Wells and with two outs, Mason Sheridan notched a two-run single, bringing in Dalton and pinch runner Brayden Ware, tying the game at 6-6. Sheridan later scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch as Andalusia took a 7-6 lead.

The bottom of the fourth was the biggest offensively for the Bulldogs as they scored six runs to take a hefty 13-6 lead. Dalton and Davis each earned one-out walks leading up to a single by Butler that loaded the bases. A fielding error off the bat of Ray allowed Dalton to score and Ferrell came home on a wild pitch. Cravey hit a hard ground ball to left field for a double, scoring pinch runner Ware and Ray to touch home, making the score 11-6. Two more runs came around on a double by Wells.

Faith Academy immediately began to chip away at the big lead, scoring five runs in the top of the fifth to get back in the game, 13-11. The Rams hit six singles in the inning.

After keeping the Bulldogs off the bases in the bottom of the fifth, Faith Academy tied the game, 13-13, with a two-run double in the top of the sixth.

The Rams’ go-ahead run came in the top of the seventh with a double and a single.

Andalusia’s Noah Curry led off the bottom of the inning with a single. A sacrifice by Thorn put pinch runner Asher Bentley in scoring position at second base with one out and he advanced to third on a wild pitch, but a strikeout followed by a grounder ended the Bulldogs’ scoring threat and the game.

Andalusia used three pitchers in the game with Davis going 4.2 innings as the starter. Bentley and Charlie Walsh pitched the final two innings.

Cravey led the offense in the first game, going two-for-three with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Wells also hit a double and had two RBI and scored once.

Game 2: Andalusia 3, Faith Academy 4
In a must-win situation, the Bulldogs took a one-point lead into the final inning, but a two-run double by Faith Academy ended the season for Andalusia as they fell 4-3.

Riley Cravey pitched the entirety of the game for Andalusia, giving up only two runs until the game-clinching double in the final inning. He gave up seven hits and only one earned run.

Unlike the first games, runs were harder to come by the second time around for the two teams. Faith Academy struck first in the bottom of the third as a baserunner came home on an error for a 1-0 lead.

Andalusia responded in the top of the fourth. Asher Bentley led things off with a walk and he reached second on a bunt by Row Thorn. Noah Curry drew a walk and then Will Dalton notched a single to score Bentley and tying the game, 1-1. The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead on a single by Landen Butler.

The Rams evened things up at 2-2 in the top of the fourth with three singles.

Pitching and defense took over for the next few innings as the teams went into the final inning still tied. Kielan Davis got things going for Andalusia in the top of the seventh with a walk and advanced to third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. With two outs, Mason Sheridan broke the tie with a single to score Davis. After two walks loaded the bases, Andalusia was looking for some more runs, but Faith Academy managed to escape the inning being behind by only one, 3-2.

The Rams benefitted from consecutive errors by the Bulldog defense to start the bottom of the seventh. An intentional walk loaded the bases with one out and Eli Quinley came through for Faith Academy with a two-run game-winning double.

Dalton, Butler, and Sheridan each had doubles and an RBI for the Bulldogs.