By Shannon Fagan, WEIS Sports Director

CENTRE – Cherokee County High School baseball coach Josh Decker said he opens the Warrior baseball facility three days a week at 6 a.m.

On Thursday, senior leadoff batter Carson Tittle was there bright and early.

Decker said Tittle has felt like he’s been struggling a little bit lately at the plate and he wanted to take a few extra swings for the Warriors’ Class 4A, Area 12 game against Alexandria.

On top of that, Tittle was making his first start of the season on the mound at home.

Tittle may want to keep the routine he had on Thursday as the Warriors head into next weekend’s Class 4A state playoffs.

Tittle went 3-for-3 at the plate, including a grand slam to left field in the bottom of the fourth inning and a run-scoring double to left in the second. He was also impressive on the mound, scattering three runs on five hits with a pair of walks in five innings in the Warriors’ 6-3 lightning-shortened win.

For Tittle, playing against Alexandria served a little extra motivation.

“I’ve played against Alexandria guys my whole life,” he said. “I played with them in elementary school and little league, so to do it against them means a little more.

“I was just trying to do a job, get the ball in the air and advance the runners,” Tittle said on his grand slam, which is the first home run of his varsity career. “I just happened to get a barrel on it and it went over the fence.

And on his pitching performance?

“I was throwing in the strike zone and letting my defense work,” Tittle said. “It worked out well in the end.”

“It was a huge night for him. You couldn’t ask any more out of that kid,” Decker said. “He needed that to kind of propel us into the playoffs.

“He’s been close (to hitting a home run) a couple of times this year. All the guys get on him in the weight room about it. He’s hit a couple of balls foul 400 feet. It’s been kind of a monkey on his back, but that was a big-time swing in a big-time spot.”

As a team, the Warriors (17-13) responded big time following their eight-inning 2-1 loss to the Valley Cubs in the series opener on Tuesday. Alexandria clinched the area title with the win, while the Warriors took the runner-up spot.

In Thursday’s game, the Valley Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Garrett Haynes led off with a bloop double to right field and later scored on an error at third.

The Warriors responded in the bottom half of the second when Tittle smacked a double to left off Alexandria starting pitcher Jeremiah Heathcock that scored James Hunter. Hunter led off the bottom of the second with a single down the left field line.

The game remained tied at 1 until the bottom of the fourth. Cherokee County batted around against Heathcock. The Warriors loaded the bases for Tittle, who blasted a grand slam for the big blow of the inning. Nine-hole batter Evan Hill also had a RBI-single to left in the inning.

Down 6-1 in the top of the fifth, Alexandria attempted to rally against Tittle. With two outs, the Valley Cubs managed to score two runs on a double to center by Bray Goode and a single to left by Haynes, but Tittle managed to get out of the jam by getting Jacob Cunningham to pop out to right.

Valley Cub reliever Caleb Frazier retired the Warriors in order in the bottom of the fifth before the lightning delay.

After about 15 minutes, and with a thunderstorm warning in the area, the umpires called the game.

“I know it was a five-inning game, but winning that game is big for our guys,” Decker said.

Goode and Haynes both went 2-for-3 with a double apiece to lead Alexandria. Heathcock also had a hit. Cunningham and Jace Loggins both walked.

Nate Black doubled and walked for the Warriors. Hunter, Adam Griffith, Luke Young, Case Hill and Evan Hill each finished with a hit.

Following senior night against Ohatchee on Monday at 4:30 p.m., the Warriors will travel for a best-of-three game playoff series at Area 9 champion Cordova beginning on Friday.

“The playoffs are about who gets hot at the right time,” Tittle said. “In baseball, anything can happen, especially in high school. We hope to keep this momentum going and see where it takes us.”