Brazil helps T-Birds stop slide, take seventh at Fulton Tournament

Sophomore left fielder almost hits for cycle, powers North Callaway past Hallsville 11-6

Sophomore Alex Brazil made the most of his late addition to the North Callaway Thunderbirds' lineup on Thursday.

Brazil finished 3-for-4 and fell a single short of the cycle in North Callaway's 11-6, five-inning win over the Hallsville Indians in the seventh-place game of the 21st-annual Fulton Tournament at the high school athletic complex.

The victory snapped a five-game losing streak for the Thunderbirds (8-13).

Hallsville jumped on North Callaway for five runs in the top of the first. Brazil - plugged into left field - led off the Thunderbirds' half of the inning with a double, then moved to third on sophomore shortstop J.T. Higgins' single.

Sophomore catcher Wyatt Branson singled home Brazil, while senior third baseman Trevor Crisp smacked an RBI single to score Higgins and bring North Callaway within 5-2.

After junior first baseman Quintin Nichols was hit by a pitch to load the bases, freshman second baseman Justin Popp cleared them with a two-out, three-run double that tied the game at 5-all.

Brazil cracked a triple to lead off the second and scored the go-ahead run on a Higgins double. Crisp drove in Higgins with an RBI single to cap off the Thunderbirds' scoring in the inning.

Brazil's three-run home run sparked a four-run fifth to complete North Callaway's offense. Hallsville (5-17) logged its final run in the bottom of the fifth. The game was called because of rain with two outs in the top of the sixth.

Crisp was 3-for-3, Higgins went 2-for-2 and Popp finished 2-for-3 as the Thunderbirds erupted for 13 hits.

Freshman starter Sam Althiser threw 4 2/3 innings to log the win for North Callaway. Althiser (1-1) allowed six runs - three earned - on six hits, struck out three and walked two.

The Thunderbirds wrap up their regular season at home against New Bloomfield at 5 p.m. Tuesday.