Pitching duo helps Etowah claim sweep in 4A championship series

It took a little bit of time for Etowah's offense to get going during Game 2 of the Class 4A baseball state championship series but once the Blue Devils woke up, there was no one stopping them from getting their hands on the blue map trophy.

Conner Dingler delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the fourth inning to give Etowah its first lead of the game and the team would never give it back on its way to a 5-1 win over UMS-Wright. The victory clinched a sweep for Etowah in the series, giving the Blue Devils their fourth overall state championship in baseball and first since 1996.

"To finally get that monkey off my back with this group of guys, I don't know if I could say how special it is," Etowah coach Blake Bone said. " I think our community is built on that blue-collared work ethic. These kids are different from a lot of other kids in today's world. It's an unbelievable feeling for us."

Etowah (30-11) added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth innings but it was once again the pitching that finished the job for the second day in a row.

SCHEDULE AND RESULTS: AHSAA baseball championship series

In Game 1, Jameson Scissum allowed just one run and three hits while striking out five in 6 1/3 innings on the mound. Caleb Freeman followed that performance by throwing a complete game Wednesday during the series-clinching victory. Freeman struck out six and allowed just one run on seven hits and four walks. He held UMS-Wright off the scoreboard for the final five innings.

The Blue Devils managed eights hits with Andrew Pierce and Hunter Humphries each recording two hits while Scissum, who earned MVP honors in the Class 4A State Championship Series, had one hit and an RBI.

SEE ALSO:Appalachian's epic comeback wins 1A State Baseball Title
SEE ALSO:Oxford runs away from Spanish Fort in Game 2 to complete sweep in 6A championship

The victory comes one year after the team's loss to Mobile Christian in the state championship series last season. It is the program's first state championship in 27 years. The Blue Devils finished with a perfect 10-0 record during the state tournament.

"To bring this back, it's been a long time, back since I was in high school," Bone said. "We're extremely ecstatic and excited. It's truly a blessing for us to get to this point."