By Kyle Parmley
PINSON — There is a new champion in baseball’s Class 6A, Area 12.
Pinson Valley (25-11, 5-1) completed a dominating sweep of Shades Valley with a pair of wins Thursday, by scores of 8-1 and 11-1.
Hunter Davidson clinched the series in the first game, after the Indians took the opening game of the series Tuesday. Davidson was untouchable, going the complete seven innings while only allowing a single hit and a run. He struck out 13 Mountie hitters and walked one. Shades Valley tacked on its only run in the fifth inning, without the benefit of a base hit.
Davidson was not done there. He managed to be the offensive star of the show as well, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a triple and four runs batted in. Senior infielder Baker Hodge had a pair of hits as well, as he doubled and scored two runs.
The second of the game did not have much meaning for either side, but that did not stop the Indians from taking control and cruising in the five-inning contest. Raul Tafoya and Blake Mayes combined to allow just two hits while striking out six on the mound.
Jacob Ingram and Gage Farley were both perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3, as Ingram scored following two of his hits. Destin Davidson and Blake Sisson each had a pair of hits, and Davidson drove in two runs and Sisson scored twice.
Pinson Valley is no stranger to the postseason, but moved back to Class 6A after four years at the Class 5A level. Despite the move to tougher competition, the Indians still had high hopes for the season.
“Goals are set at the beginning of the season and the first goal is to win area and make it to the playoffs,” Hodge said. “We have done that now but we are not satisfied with that. We still have a lot of room for improvement.”
Hodge has made it to the playoffs three years in a row as a member of the varsity squad, so he knows what it takes for his team to advance deep into the proceedings.
“We need to keep playing hard and keep finding a way to win,” he said.
Joining Pinson Valley in the playoffs will be Area 12 runner up Clay-Chalkville. The Cougars knew they had to sweep Huffman in order to make the postseason and did just that, winning all three games in the series and the final two Thursday.
“There wasn’t really any pressure today,” senior pitcher Matthew Calvert said. “We understood the circumstances and knew that we needed to win. We knew that if we played our game we could win.”
The Cougars played like they felt no pressure, beating Huffman by tallies of 12-2 and 17-0.
Much like Hodge, Calvert has been to the postseason before and been through the battles. He is convinced that his team can make a run as well.
“In the postseason, it’s all about who gets hot at the right time,” Calvert said. “If everyone on the team starts to believe that you can make a run and plays the game the best they can, then we could really make something special happen.”
The state playoffs will begin Friday, April 17. Area 12 is paired with Area 11 in the first round, meaning that Walker will travel to Pinson Valley and Clay-Chalkville will make a visit to Gardendale.