Four of Baldwin County’s seven representatives in the AHSAA state baseball playoffs swept into the Sweet 16 of their respective classification’s brackets. Two more needed decisive Game 3s on Saturday.

Bayshore Christian (Class 2A), Gulf Shores (Class 5A), Spanish Fort (Class 6A) and Baldwin County (Class 6A) survived and advanced to the second round set to begin on April 26. Bayside Academy (Class 4A) will not be there after being upset by the Northside Rams who sealed Saturday’s Game 3 with a 7-6 win.

The Tigers from Bay Minette will be featured in the second round of the Class 6A state bracket for the first time since 2017 when they take on the Area 8 champion Hueytown Golden Gophers.

Bayshore Christian and Spanish Fort were into their second consecutive Sweet 16s and Gulf Shores is going back for the third time in the last four years. The Class 5A Area 1 runner-up Elberta Warriors were on the other side of the sweeping broom and fell in the first round to the Area 6 champion Valley Rams.

On the Class 7A stage, the 16-team postseason bracket was finalized after regular-season play wrapped up at the end of last week. For the third straight season, the Fairhope Pirates will enter as Area 2 champions after they swept the Foley Lions. Fairhope is set to square off with Mary G. Montgomery when the first round opens on April 26.

Below are recaps from each classification, stay tuned to gulfcoastmedia.com/sports for full coverage of the spring sports playoffs.

Class 2A

Eagles second-round bound

G1: Bayshore Christian 4, Thorsby 0

G2: Bayshore Christian 9, Thorsby 7

The Bayshore Christian Eagles are heading back to the second round of the Class 2A playoffs after being promoted due to the Competitive Balance Factor following two straight Class 1A state titles. The Eagles advance to face G.W. Long, who swept Aliceville in the first round. The Rebels were the No. 2 team in the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s final state poll.

Jack Malone, who has bounced back from a broken leg in the Eagles’ inaugural football season, pitched a complete game in the series opener and racked up 8 strikeouts against 2 hits. Jace Jones (RBI) and Cory Parker both registered 2-hit games.

In Game 2, Bayshore Christian scored in all but one inning and took a 9-3 lead into the bottom of the 7th before Ben Whiteside came on for the save. Jack Wheeler, as well as Jones, Malone and Parker, supplied 2 hits to the offensive efforts.

Class 4A

Admirals fall short in Game 3

G1: Bayside Academy 4, Northside 0

G2: Northside 9, Bayside Academy 4

G3: Northside 7, Bayside Academy 6

G1: Carson Joyner scattered 4 hits and struck out 8 in 5 innings. Wills Norton and Gatlin Pitts pitched a scoreless inning each. Teague Broadhead went 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI.

G2: Bayside took a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning after 5 scoreless innings from Broadhead, but three relievers gave up 9 runs – all earned.

A state semifinalist last season, Bayside Academy opened the playoffs with a gem from ULM signee Carson Joyner who struck out 8 batters in 5 innings and allowed only 4 hits before Wills Norton and Samford signee Gatlin Pitts delivered scoreless innings on the mound.

Southern Miss signee Teague Broadhead finished the opener 2-for-2 with an RBI and started Game 2 on the mound with 5 scoreless innings and left with a 3-0 lead. The Admiral bullpen surrendered 9 runs before Northside capitalized late on Saturday to finish the first-round victory.

Bayside Academy had gone to at least the third round the last three postseasons.

Makos’ run ends

G1: Orange Beach 6, American Christian 1

G2: American Christian 7, Orange Beach 3

G3: American Christian 7, Orange Beach 0

The Orange Beach Makos finished with a 31-10 overall record and found the end of the road in the first round of the state playoffs. In Josh Hoyle’s first year at the helm of the Mako program, he recorded his 200th career victory.

Orange Beach won its first postseason game on the Class 4A stage with a 2-run first inning in Game 1. Ryan Gober launched a home run as part of a 3-hit, 3-run effort as Hayden Barber and Tripp Carter both registered 2 RBIs.

Class 5A

Dolphins swimming back to Sweet 16

G1: Gulf Shores 8, Beauregard 3

G2: Gulf Shores 2, Beauregard 0

After a first-round exit last year, the No. 6 Gulf Shores Dolphins punched their second-round ticket with a 1-hit shutout pitched by Meridian College commit Connor Gehr. He finished with 13 strikeouts against 1 walk as Joseph Stephens led the way offensively with a 2-for-3 day featuring an RBI.

Alex King and John Luke Stephens both supplied 2 RBIs in the first game behind Jackson Beck’s 6.1 innings where he yielded 7 hits but no runs with 4 strikeouts. Stephens opened with a 3-for-4 effort with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

The Dolphins were awaiting the winner of the Marbury-Tallassee series which needed a decisive Game 3 on Saturday.

Warriors find end of road

G1: Valley 8, Elberta 7

G2: Valley 23, Elberta 2

The Area 1 runner-up Warriors are eliminated as the Rams advance to face St. Paul’s Episcopal.

Class 6A

Toros take first two

G1: Spanish Fort 4, Calera 2

G2: Spanish Fort 7, Calera 3

Last year’s state runner-up, the No. 7 Spanish Fort Toros began their path back to Jacksonville State with a first-round sweep.

Ethan Kick, who returned this season from surgery, delivered a 6-inning effort for the win on the mound in Game 1 only to deliver a 2-run home run at the plate in Game 2.

Caleb Chesser gave Spanish Fort the lead for good in the fifth inning as John Henry Winstead earned the save. Winstead then pitched 4.2 innings in Game 2 and recorded 7 strikeouts to secure the win on the mound before Grant Howard shut the door for the save.

The Toro win sets up a state quarterfinal rematch against the Saraland Spartans who needed extra innings in Saturday’s decisive Game 3 to advance out of the first round over Northridge. This year, Spanish Fort will be the away team as Saraland hosts the second-round series.

Tigers score historic upset

G1: Baldwin County 10, Helena 7

G2: Baldwin County 4, Helena 3

The Baldwin County Tigers won a marathon in the opener then walked off on Eli Woody’s RBI single to not only seal an upset of No. 6 Helena but also secure their first trip to the Sweet 16 in seven years.

Woody teamed up with Landen Walker to provide 6 RBIs in Game 1 to complement Jaxen Schuler’s 5.2 innings pitched as the Tigers and Huskies totaled 25 hits for 17 runs.

In Game 2, Woody played hero with his second hit of the evening to match Reid Johnson’s effort. Quincy Walters and Jackson Paul both delivered RBIs and Brayden Bryars shut the door in the top of the seventh.

Baldwin County advances to face the Area 8 champion Hueytown Golden Gophers who swept Stanhope Elmore.

Class 7A Area 2

Pirates claim third straight area crown

G1: Fairhope 15, Foley 5

G2: Fairhope 7, Foley 3

G3: Fairhope 14, Foley 0

Fairhope closed regular-season area play with a sweep of the Foley Lions to secure a third straight Area 2 championship. The Daphne Trojans earned runner-up finish and joined the Pirates in the recently finalized state bracket. Daphne draws Baker to open postseason play while Fairhope is set to square off with MGM.

In the first game of the Pirates’ area series against Foley, Connor Gunnison earned the win on the mound with a 1-hit effort over 4.1 innings with 7 strikeouts. Bryon Martin led the offensive efforts with 4 hits, 5 stolen bases, 3 runs scored and an RBI. Miles Drew Johnson supplied 3 hits and 2 RBIs, Gavin Rehorn collected 2 hits and 2 runs and Tadd Mitchell registered a double, 2 stolen bases and 3 runs scored.

In Thursday’s 7-3 win, Martin collected 2 hits, 2 runs and an RBI as Rock Gearheart went 3-for-3 and Blake Westry drove in 2 runs. Harrison Cook pitched to the win with 4 hits and 1 earned run over 3.1 innings with 4 punchouts.