Briefly: Bell City baseball team rallies to win Class 1 championship

The Bell City baseball team was down to its final out and trailed Atlanta by one run in the Class 1 state championship game at TR Hughes Ballpark on Wednesday afternoon.

The Cubs scored the tying run in the top of the seventh and scored three runs in the eighth to defeat the Hornets 6-3 in extra innings to win the first state title in program history.

Atlanta had a 3-0 lead after three innings. Bell City cut it to 3-2 with runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

Cole Nichols was hit by a pitch with two outs in the top of the seventh and scored the tying run when Austin Hicks lifted a ball into right field that was dropped for a three-base error.

Relief pitcher Peyton Maddox retired the Hornets in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. Maddox (6-1) picked up the win on the mound. He allowed four hits and no runs in five innings of work.

Maddox led off the top of the eighth with a base hit to right before Bobby Wright reached on a swinging bunt and Tyler Evans was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Nolan Schaefer drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout to third. Wright and Evans scored to put the Cubs up 6-3 when Atlanta shortstop Collan Thrasher's throw on a grounder from Jessie Smith skipped past the first baseman.

Hicks allowed one hit in the bottom of the eighth and struck out two as he picked up the save.

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Bell City 000 110 13 -- 6 8 0

Atlanta 003 000 00 -- 3 8 3

WP -- Peyton Maddox. LP -- Garrett West. 3B -- Marty Halley (A). Multiple events -- Bell City: Austin Hicks 2-4, Maddox 2-4, Bobby Wright 2-4; Atlanta: Halley 2-4.