Huntland's Kannon Lafevers swings at an incoming pitch in this file photo from earlier in the season. Lafevers had a hit and an RBI for the Hornets Thursday in their 8-5 loss to Fayetteville City High School.
The Huntland High School Hornets lost to the Fayetteville Tigers 8-5 at Eagleville Thursday in an elimination game for the District 9A tournament.
The fourth-seeded Tigers scored the first eight runs of the contest with a late rally from the second-seeded Hornets coming up short as their season ended with the loss.
The Tigers scored a pair of runs in the top of the first and added another run in the top of the third to quickly take a 3-0 lead.
A five-run fourth inning from Fayetteville more than doubled the deficit and put the Hornets in an 8-0 hole at the game’s midway point.
The Hornets got their first run of the day in the bottom of the fourth as Daltyn Howell drew a leadoff walk and Matthew Dickson doubled before Maxwell hit into an RBI groundout to score Howell from third base and make it an 8-1 game.
The Hornets loaded the bases to start the bottom of the sixth as Dickson singled, Maxwell got hit by a pitch and Grant Jernigan drew a walk with nobody out.
The Hornets capitalized on the bases-loaded opportunity by scoring four runs in the inning as Dickson crossed home plate on a wild pitch, Kannon Lafevers contributed an RBI single and Carson Riley and Evan Keller both hit into RBI groundouts to cut the deficit down to 8-5.
However, the Hornets were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh as they lost by three.
Blaine Counts pitched a complete game for the Hornets with two strikeouts, 13 hits, two walks, six earned runs and two unearned runs allowed.
With the loss, the Hornets finished their season with a record of 9-11.