By Michael Butler
With Tallassee’s series sweep of LAMP, the Tigers have clinched a post-season berth for the fourth straight year. Tallassee won 12-0 on Thursday in five innings and 12-0 on Friday in six innings. Coupled with a split in the Catholic/Trinity series, the Tigers are guaranteed one of the top two spots in Class 4A/Area 5.
“It goes back to what I said before, I want to keep it in our hands and not rely on someone else’s outcome,” said THS head coach John Goodman.
Tallassee improved to 15-9 in running their win streak to 12. They have won 13 of their last 15 and are now ranked No. 9 in Class 4A in the latest Alabama Sports Writers Association poll. At 6-0 in area play, a split in the Trinity series will give the Tigers the area title.
“There is a little bit of pressure off of us, knowing we’re in the playoffs,” Goodman added, “but we want home field advantage.”
On Thursday at Southside, Jack Butler threw a no-hitter going all five innings striking out eight and walking one against LAMP. Brue Milner hit his eighth homerun of the season. Milner, Butler, Hamp Love, and Avery Brantley had two hits each on Senior Day.
On Friday at Patterson Field, Avery Brantley and Brandon Goodman combined for the shutout. Brantley pitched five innings giving up just two hits and recording seven strikeouts with a walk. Goodman pitched the final inning allowing one hit while striking out one and walking none. Kole Burton led the Tigers with three hits. Abram Whittington and Milner added two hits apiece.
Tallassee wraps up the regular season next week with Alabama Christian and Trinity. The area series with Trinity begins in Montgomery on Thursday. The series moves to Tallassee on Friday with a special ceremony for Tallassee’s first state championship team, the 1986 squad.
“The 40th reunion will be recognized before the game,” Goodman said. “We need a huge crowd to celebrate these former players. (It) seems like yesterday that they were in the same situation, playing for an area championship. That was a great bunch of players that started the Tallassee baseball dynasty.”
Many of those players are coming back to take part in the festivities.
“Winning that first title in ’86 was a product of a lot of hard work by not only players, but countless volunteers that coached us and supported us from the time we were all playing tee-ball – with Coach (Ronnie) Baynes leading the way,” said Will Solomon, an outfielder on the 1986 team. “To celebrate that moment 40 years later with all the community and all that grew up playing together is a blessing.”
Tallassee went 21-5 under Baynes beating Pleasant Grove in the championship series 6-5 and 7-2. The games were played in Tallassee. Now championships are played at a neutral site.
“I remember the place was packed and the atmosphere was crazy,” said Mark Baynes, who played outfield and catcher.
The championship was the first of seven from 1986 through 1998 under Baynes and Goodman.
“”When we won it in ’86, and from that time on, it was like that’s what we were expecting,” Baynes said. “The great thing about those baseball teams is they were playing together, not for personal gain, to win championships. We had a run that kids were playing for what the whole team could accomplish.”
Tallassee Times 
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