CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman Bearcats kicked off their 2026 playoffs with a first round matchup against the Southside Panthers on Friday night.
In game one, the Bearcats handled Southside with ease in a 10-3 victory. Jonah Inman and Knox Mauldin both homered, and starting pitcher Michael Shadeck went 5.2 innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs while striking out five batters.
The second matchup looked to be much of the same for the first three innings, as the Bearcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind a Carson Stancil homer and inconsistent Panther pitching. In the bottom of the third, however, Southside got to Cullman starter Jake Weathersby, putting up four hits and three walks to score five runners. After trading one run over the next two frames, the Panthers blew it open in the sixth, scoring 11 points to finish a 17-8 win.
The series split sets up a tiebreaker tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Cullman High.
OTHER PLAYOFF NEWS
- Cold Springs took down Cleveland 10-3 in game one and 7-3 in game two to move on to round two where they’ll face Lindsay Lane Christian on May 1.
- Vinemont dropped both matchups to Piedmont, losing 13-0 and 11-2, ending the Eagles season at 11-20.
