Marengo Academy season ends in semifinals (with gallery)

ELMORE — Marengo Academy’s tremendous season came to a halt in the Class AA semifinals Wednesday as the Longhorns were swept by Edgewood.

Marengo lost the opener 10-0, surrendering eight runs during a fourth inning that was delayed more than two hours by thunderstorms. The Longhorns mustered a single hit in the game on a first inning double by Hayden Huckabee.

The Longhorns committed five errors in the game while walking four batters and plunking two. Edgewood needed only five hits to complete the skunking.

Marengo battled back from an early 4-0 deficit in the second game to briefly take a lead before falling 12-8.

“Hats off to Marengo too. With the way lost the first game and they battled back and fought the way they did,” Edgewood coach Bobby Carr said. “Especially when they went down 4-0, they could have easily kicked their lip, walked around and finished the game, but it says a lot about their program and the character of their kids and their coaching staff.”

Weldon Aydelott drove in Caleb Broadhead in the third inning to get the first run on the board. David Dunn then drew a walk to push Huckabee home and cut the deficit to 4-2.

After Edgewood added a run in the top of the fourth, the Longhorns posted a five-run, two-out rally to take a 7-5 lead. Aydelott singled in Huckabee and Robert Tutt. Cody Cobb and Daniel Pritchett scored on an error off the bat of Brad Collins to put Marengo on top. Collins then scored on a throwing error to add to the lead.

“They’ve been that way all year. Same way in football. They battle, battle, battle. I can’t ask for more out of them,” Marengo coach Woddie Beck said. “They did everything I asked them to do. They just come up short. I hate it for these guys Great group of guys and I hate it for them. I really do.”

The excitement proved short lived for the Longhorns as Edgewood used three errors, three walks and one hit to score five runs and take command in the fifth.

Andrew Martin scored the final Longhorn run of the season in the bottom of the fifth when he stroked the first pitch he saw for a triple and scored as an errant throw went into the Edgewood dugout.

“This has been a very fun group to coach. They’ve battled tooth and nail. I hate it for these seniors. Best group of kids I’ve ever coached. Heart. Desire. You couldn’t ask for more,” Beck said. “Again, I hate for it to end this way for the seniors, but we did have a good year. We finished the year at 25-3 and that’s a tribute to them.”

Edgewood (35-7) will seek its eighth straight state championship next week. The win would give the Wildcats the state record for most consecutive state titles at any level, a record currently held by Vestavia Hills. The Wildcats have been to the state finals 13 of the 15 seasons of Carr’s tenure.