The Huntland High School Hornets lost to the Hampshire Hawks 4-1 at Eagleville Saturday in an elimination game for the Region 5A tournament.

The Hawks scored most of their runs for the contest in the top of the first with the Hornets not being able to mount a comeback as the loss ended their season.

Huntland head baseball coach Brent Davis said that his team didn’t have the offensive production needed to survive the regional bracket, but recent losses didn’t take away from what his players accomplished this year.

“We went home a lot earlier than when we were expecting, but we’re still proud of them, and we think that they’ve really started something special for us down at Huntland. Hopefully, people see it and they’ll start buying into the program,” he said. “They have a lot to be proud of. I know this is going to hurt right now, but I told them, ‘Don’t let this get you down.’” The Hawks capitalized on a few Huntland errors in the top of the first to score three total runs in the frame and put Huntland behind early.

The Hornets got one of those runs back in the bottom of the first as Kasen Kildoo came through with a two-out RBI single to drive in Jed Ashley from second base and make it a 3-1 game.

Grant Jernigan led off the bottom of the third with a triple, but a lineout a few pitches later found the glove of Hampshire’s third baseman with the fielder then stepping on his bag to force Jernigan out.

The Hornets put another runner in scoring position later in that same inning after Ashley hit a single and Bryant Mooney reached base on an error, but a flyout ended the inning and got the Hawks out of the jam.

The Hawks added to their lead in the top of the sixth as a two-out RBI triple put the Hornets behind by a 4-1 margin late.

Eli Fitch hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh to put the potential tying run on deck, but two flyouts and a fielder’s- choice groundout followed to end the contest as the Hornets lost by three.

Jernigan pitched the first six innings for the Hornets with 11 strikeouts, five hits, two walks, one earned run and three unearned runs allowed for the day.

Kildoo pitched a shutout inning in relief with one strikeout and one hit allowed.

With the loss, the Hornets finished their season with a record of 15-12.

Eagleville 8, Hornets 0

The Hornets lost to the Eagleville Eagles 8-0 on the road Friday in a semifinal game for the Region 5A tournament.

The Hornets were shut out for the second time this season as the Eagles pulled away early to give them a decisive loss in the tournament’s opening round.

The first four batters for the Eagles in the bottom of the first reached base with all of them being brought around to score to make it a 4-0 game.

The Eagles then capitalized on a few Huntland errors in the bottom of the second to score another run and push the early deficit up to 5-0.

Kildoo hit a two-out single in the top of the fourth and advanced to second base on a passed ball to give the Hornets a runner in scoring position, but a strikeout then ended the inning before Kildoo could advance further.

A two-out, two run single from the Eagles in the bottom of the fifth put the Hornets in a 7-0 hole late.

Ashley and Mooney recorded consecutive two-out singles in the top of the sixth to give the Hornets another scoring opportunity, but the Eagles got the last out they needed for the frame on a fielder’s-choice groundout.

The Eagles scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth, and the Hornets weren’t able to answer back offensively in the top of the seventh as they lost by eight.

Fitch pitched the first five innings for the Hornets with two strikeouts, five hits, three walks, five earned runs and two unearned runs allowed for the day.

Ashley pitched one inning in relief with one hit and one unearned run allowed. With the loss, the Hornets moved to 15-11 on the season.