Cameron Teel singled home Adam Minor in the bottom of the sixth inning for the go-ahead run, and pitcher Ben Handley and the Chilton County defense were solid throughout as the Tigers defeated Tuscaloosa County, 3-2, in both teams’ season opener.

The visitors struck first, in the first inning, with perfectly executed baseball: a leadoff single, a stolen base, an out that moved the runner to third base then a sacrifice fly.

CCHS tied the game in the fourth when Ben Handley’s groundout scored Minor (2/3, 2 R).

The Wildcats took back the lead in the sixth but watched their hosts push two across in the bottom of the inning.

Justin Veazey (1/3, R) led off the frame with an infield single and moved to second base on Minor’s single up the middle.

Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Handley (0/2, BB, 2 RBI) tied the game with another run-scoring groundout.

Teel (1/2, BB, RBI) roped an 0-2 offering into center field for the Tigers’ first lead, but there was still work to be done.

TCHS put runners on the corners with no outs and loaded the bases with one out, but first baseman William Head cut down the lead runner at home plate on a smart fielder’s choice for the second out and Handley induced another ground ball to end the game.

Handley pitched a complete game for the win, allowing five hits and two walks while striking out four.

TCHS’s Tanner Smithson was tagged with the loss.

Chilton Co. 8, Dallas Co. 1

In the hosts’ second game of the day, Chance Calloway struck out 13 Hornets in seven innings for the win.

Chilton pounded out 12 hits, and seven of the nine Tigers in the batting order scored runs. William Head was the only CCHS player to score multiple runs. He had two.