By Brandon Sumrall | Special to the Advertiser

Having picked up two important wins on April 3 against area foe Sylacauga, Chilton County High School’s varsity baseball team stepped out of area play on Saturday to split a doubleheader against Smiths Station.

Host CCHS took Game 1 of the series in dramatic fashion, 2-1, and the visiting Panthers took Game 2 after jumping on the Tigers early and going on to an 8-4 win.

Smiths Station got on the board first in Game 1, scoring a run in the top half of the first inning when a Devin Brown infield single scored Tyrus Galliher to give the Panthers a lead.

Both teams’ defenses took over after the top of the second inning by completely shutting off any scoring through the next four innings, and the game moved into the bottom of the seventh inning with the Tigers still trailing by one run and down to their final three outs.

After an out, two consecutive hit batters put Beau Waid and Colby Ramsey aboard for the Tigers, while Hunter Bennett reached base on a walk.

Blake Teel also saw ball four, allowing Waid to cross home plate to knot the score at 1-all.

With Tyler Henderson pinch running for Ramsey and representing the game-winning run on third base, J.D. Minor’s shot to the right side of the infield made it through and allowed Henderson to cross home plate to give the Tigers the win.

Tolliver Gilliland pitched a complete game, allowing one earned run on four hits and one walk.

Teel led at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three singles and an RBI.

In Game 2, the Panthers struck early, scoring three runs in the second inning. One more Panther run in the top of the third inning put the Tigers in a 4-0 hole.

The Tigers got on the scoreboard in the bottom half of the fourth inning with three runs of their own.

Trenton Bishop reached base after being hit by a pitch, later to score on a passed ball for the Tigers’ first run of the game.

A Bennett single set up a sacrifice fly for Cade Hatch for the Tigers’ second run of the inning. A Jacob Minor single scored Corbin Bice to make the score 4-3 after four innings of play.

But the Panther bats were just getting started as the visitors added three more runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Anfernee Moffett gave the Panthers two more runs with a double to left-center field, and Moffett scored on a Illya Lawrence triple.

With the Tigers going quietly in the bottom half of the fifth inning, the Panthers led 7-3.

Smiths Station added one more run in the top of the sixth inning, while the Tigers managed one in the bottom half of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough.

Garren Minor got the start on the mound for the Tigers in Game 2 and pitched three innings while recording three strike outs and allowing two earned runs on two walks and three hits.

Bennett led at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two singles and an RBI.

The Tigers will wrap up the home portion of their regular season on Thursday as they play host to the Talladega Tigers with the area championship on the line.