RUSSELLVILLE - Brock Malone had three hits and three RBIs for Russellville on Friday night, and Houston Kitterman picked up his first win of the season as the Golden Tigers used a four-run fourth inning to get by Haleyville 9-5 on a chilly evening at Russellville Baseball Stadium.
Rudy Fernandez and Landon Ezzell also had multi-hit games for Russellville (8-4). The Golden Tigers were trailing 5-4 when Fernandez led off the bottom of the fourth with a single, his 10th consecutive plate appearance reaching base safely. Ezzell flied to center, but Fernandez stole second and then moved to third when Kitterman reached on an error.
Malone lined an 0-2 pitch through the hole on the right side to bring home Fernandez and tie the game. After Tom Barkley Scott was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Kitterman scored the go-ahead run when Jeff Lloyd reached on another error by the Lions (4-5). Caden Parker followed with an RBI single to center, and then Scott scored when fleet-footed junior Devin Buckhalter beat the rap on a potential double-play groundball to make it 8-5.
Kitterman, who relieved Malone on the mound after three innings, set Haleyville down in order in the top of the fifth, and then the Golden Tigers added an insurance run in the bottom half. After Fernandez’s streak ended on a fly to right, Ezzell doubled into the left-field corner. Courtesy runner Omar Tompkins scored when Malone blooped a two-out single down the right-field line to make it 9-5.
Kitterman (1-1) pitched around a walk and a hit batter in the top of the sixth, and senior lefty Colton Madden got a double-play groundball and a strikeout to finish off the win with a scoreless seventh. Kitterman allowed two runs (just one earned) on four hits in three innings, striking out three.
Both teams had plenty of base runners and scoring opportunities in the early going. Haleyville struck first on a two-out RBI double by Blake Bennett in the top of the first, but Malone retired Ben Lowman on a grounder to second with two on to end the threat.
Russellville loaded the bases in the bottom half on a pair of walks to Noah Gist and Ezzell sandwiched around a single by Fernandez. Haleyville starter J.T. Lollar struck out Kitterman for the first out, but Malone drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the tying run. Lollar got the next two batters on a strikeout and a comebacker to keep it a 1-1 game.
Malone worked around a one-out single in the top of the second, and the Golden Tigers grabbed their first lead in the bottom half. Madden beat out an infield hit with one out and moved up on a sac bunt by Gist. Madden then took third on a ball in the dirt and scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Fernandez walked and later scored when the Lions committed a throwing error on an infield hit by Ezzell, making it 3-1.
Malone retired the first two batters in the top of the third, but an error on a groundball allowed the inning to continue. Haleyville took advantage, getting hits from Abraham Marchant and Lowman to load the bases and then a two-run single from Scott McAlpine to tie the game 3-3. Malone struck out John Whiteside with two men aboard to end the inning.
Malone led off the bottom of the third with a single, and courtesy runner Buckhalter eventually scored on a wild pitch to give Russellville a 4-3 lead. The Lions went back in front 5-4 in the top of the fourth on back-to-back RBI singles by Cal Taylor and Bennett. Kitterman settled in from there, and the Golden Tigers took the lead for good with their four-run rally in the fourth.
Malone finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored, and Ezzell was 2-for-3 with a double. Fernandez went 2-for-4 with two runs and two stolen bases. The senior shortstop will carry a seven-game hit streak and a team-best .421 batting average into next Tuesday’s area opener at Lawrence County.