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By LAUREN SEXTON | Sports Reporter

NORTH SHELBY – In the span of one week, the Briarwood Lions have taken down John Carrol and Leeds twice. The Lions are now 4-0 going into the second week of their season.

The Lions faced John Carroll in their first matchup of the season and picked up an 18-6 victory on Monday, Feb. 20, thanks to 10 runs in the top of the sixth.

Briarwood scored the first run of the night in the top of the second before adding three more runs in the top of the third and another in the top of the fourth. John Carroll trailed 6-3 before the Lions closed out with a strong performance in the remaining innings.

The Lions totaled two runs in the top of the fifth, while John Carroll added three more in the bottom of the fifth. However, it was the 10 runs scored in the top of the sixth that made a comeback next to impossible for John Carrol.

Will Clark carried Briarwood with six runs in the game against John Carroll on Monday night. He drove in several runs on a single in the third, knocked a home run in the fourth and a double in the sixth.

Houston Hartfield pitched over three innings for the Lions. He allowed zero runs on one hit, struck out four and walked zero.

Briarwood notched eight hits, stole five bases and hit three home runs. 

In Briarwood’s rematch against John Carrol on Thursday, Feb. 23, the Lions won the Thursday night game in an 8-2 blowout thanks to a strong offensive performance in the bottom of the sixth.

The Lions started with a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the third after Jake Souders singled on a 2-2 count in the first inning. Briarwood totaled six runs in the bottom of the third after Jackson Barnes, Seth Staggs, Andrew McAdams and Casen Heaps and Parker Daniels all scored.

John Carroll scored one run in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the seventh. Briarwood closed out the night with one final run in the bottom of the seventh.

Johnathan Stevens pitched for Briarwood over the course of four innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out seven. Jackson Adams followed Stevens in the remaining three innings.

Briarwood’s success only continued as they faced its second opponent of the season on Friday, Feb. 24. The Lions took on the Leeds Greenwave and added another blowout win to their season. Leeds fell to Briarwood in a 7-1 blowout.

Heaps got the game started for the Lions in the second inning scoring one run. Briarwood followed with two more runs in the second and the fifth and one in the fourth and the sixth.

Briarwood pitcher Drake Meeks lasted the first three innings and a third of the fourth inning. He surrendered zero hits on two runs, struck out seven and walked one.

The Lions’ first week of the season concluded with one more victory against Leeds for a 4-0 start to the season. The Lions fended off the Greenwave in 6-0 shutout win.

Briarwood scored three runs in the top of the second inning, while tagging on one more run in the next three innings of the game.

Mathew Jones pitched for the Lions, allowing zero runs on two hits over three innings. Jones struck out one, while Brady Waugh and Barnes closed out the game for Lions from the mound.

Briarwood travels to Homewood on Tuesday, Feb. 28.