By WESLEY HALLMAN / Sports Editor

The Spain Park High School baseball team split a doubleheader with Oxford in the first two games of a best-of-three series in the Alabama High School Athletics Association Class 6A semifinals May 11.

Spain Park will face Oxford in the deciding third game of the series May 12 at 10 a.m.

The Jaguars defeated Oxford 3-2 in the opening game.

Will McDonald led Spain Park offensively as he finished 2-for-3 at the plate and scored one run in the victory.

Grant Veteto finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a solo homer. Dustin Cowart finished 1-for-2 at the plate and drove in one run. Colton Freeman finished 1-for-2 at the plate and scored one run. Josh Close went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Hunter Hall earned the win on the mound after giving up two runs, including one earned run, on eight hits with five strikeouts and two walks in a complete-game victory.

Spain Park fell to Oxford 5-4 in the nightcap. The Yellow Jackets overcame a four-run deficit in the final two innings to clinch the victory.

Freeman led the Jaguars offensively as he finished 1-for-3 at the plate with a double and scored one run.

Hall finished 1-for-2 at the plate with a double. Veteto went 1-for-3 at the plate and drove in one run. Close, Austin Haight and Paul Angel scored one run each.

Josh Rich took the loss after giving up one earned run on one hit without recording an out in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Freeman started on the mound and gave up four unearned runs on just one hit with 12 strikeouts and four walks in 5 2/3 innings. Mikey White allowed one hit in 1/3 of an inning.