Sardis sweeps Boaz in top-10 matchup, wins Class 5A, Area 13 championship

Anticipation had been building all season long for the Class 5A, Area 13 baseball series between archrivals Sardis and Boaz, who hadn’t clashed since their epic matchup in the semifinals of the 2023 5A state playoffs.

The Lions swept that series to advance to the 5A state finals, where they lost to Holtville.

The 2024 regular-season series finally arrived last weekend, and the fifth-ranked Lions swept fourth-ranked Boaz to secure their fourth consecutive area championship and a home series in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Sardis (16-11) will host Area 10 runner-up Moody on Friday, April 19 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. The if-necessary game would be Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m.

Boaz (18-8) will travel to Area 10 winner Leeds on April 19 at 5 and 7:30 p.m. A third game, if necessary, will be April 20 at 1 p.m.

Game one

Sardis 6, Boaz 1

Senior right-hander Blaze Gerhart threw a no-hitter on the mound and belted a two-run homer at the plate to propel the Lions to victory Friday, April 12 at Sardis Field.

Gerhart racked up 12 strikeouts and walked three. Boaz scored its only run in the top of the fourth.

Landon Carroll led off the bottom of the first inning with a single, and Gerhart followed with a two-run shot to left field, putting the Lions ahead to stay.

With one out, Levi Martin, Trey Thornton and Russ Wiggs delivered three straight singles, with Wiggs’ hit driving in Martin.

The Lions extended their advantage to 5-0 in the bottom of the third.

Carson Gillilan drew a leadoff walk, and Martin was hit by a pitch. Wiggs reached on a one-out infield single, loading the bases. Conner Lowery’s single drove in Gillilan, and Kaden Walters’ fielder’s choice plated Martin.

Wiggs paced Sardis’ 11-hit attack by batting 3-for-3. He contributed one RBI.

Gerhart closed 2-for-4, and Lowery went 2-for-3 with one RBI.

Tyler Pierce walked and scored Boaz’s run. Cody McCormick pitched for Boaz, giving up 11 hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out four.

Game two

Sardis 8, Boaz 3

The Lions rallied from a 3-1 deficit to knock off Boaz on Saturday, April 13 at Pirate Park and clinch the Area 13 title.

Boaz erased a 1-0 Sardis advantage with a three-run third inning.

With two outs, Pierce’s line-drive single to right field scored Noah Sumners, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice.

Elijah Kelley, who had reached on an error, scored on a passed ball to give BHS a 2-1 lead.

Daniel Posey’s single to left plated Pierce, who had advanced to second when Kelley scored.

The Lions tied it 3-3 in the top of the fifth frame. With two outs, Carroll stroked an RBI double to center field. He stole third and scored the tying run on an error.

Sardis seized a 4-3 advantage on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth.

The Lions sealed their victory behind a four-run seventh that featured an RBI double from Trey Thornton, an RBI single from Wiggs and an RBI single from Brian Chapman.

Lowery tossed a complete game and earned the win on the mound for the Lions. He yielded eight hits, no earned runs and one walk while striking out eight.

Pierce started and threw 6.2 innings for the Pirates. He surrendered four hits, four earned runs and six walks. He fanned eight batters.

Playoff pairings

The Class 5A North bracket state playoff pairings for the first round are:

Fairview at Madison Academy

Moody at Sardis

Douglas at Alexandria

Lawrence County at John Carroll Catholic

Boaz at Leeds

Pleasant Grove at Russellville

Southside at Arab

Ardmore at Springville

The state finals are scheduled for May 13-18 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford and Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium at Jacksonville State University.