High school baseball: Defending champion Dale opens state tournament with win

Justin Hendricks pitched five-plus innings for the victory, allowing two runs on five hits.

Bradley Nichols suffered the loss for No. 5 Colbert, allowing four runs in three innings.

Sterling 4, Byng 1

Sterling pitcher Reece Siebold drove in the game's first run with a squeeze bunt to cap a wild at-bat in the fourth inning, but it proved costly as he had to leave the game in the bottom half of the inning with a blister on his finger from the bunt.

Still, the Tigers (27-5) got four solid innings of relief from Trevyn Woolbright to advance to the semifinals against Latta.

Seibold looked to originally be out in the fourth when he grounded out, but a balk negated the pitch. He then thought he struck out later in the plate appearance and walked toward the dugout before delivering the full-count bunt.

Latta 6, Rattan 0

Right-hander Brady Johnson was nearly unhittable, striking out 13 and allowing just two hits in seven innings to knock off No. 2 Rattan.

Rattan's only hits came in the second inning when Cullen Mack doubled to leadoff and Tanner McAdams reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Johnson, though, struck out the next three batters to end the threat.

Sixth-ranked Latta (22-8) scored two runs each in the third, fourth and sixth.

Blake Watts and Cade Clay combined to strike out 13 for Rattan (30-5).