Cullman BB routs Jasper, clinches playoff berth in Class 6A:

Walk off grand slam allows the 'Cats to sweep their area rival:

GDW Analysis:
Home runs proved to be a vital weapon for the Cullman Bearcats to complete a sweep of 6A, Area 13 rival Jasper Thursday at Bill Shelton Field.
Cullman won 1 to 0 Tuesday on a 1st inning homer by Bennett Johnson.
Two days later, a walk off grand slam by Colter Bowen completed a 16 to 3 victory.
That clinched a berth to the 6A playoffs for the Bearcats after they missed out in 2024.
The win at Jasper was career victory No. 500 for coach Brent Patterson.
Great pitching from Brian Lofton allowed the 'Cats a rear victory in 1 to 0 fashion and doing it as a road team.
Johnson got things going with a solo blast in the Cullman first on Thursday. The Bearcats would tack on 4 in the 3rd. Cale Graves went deep with a solo homer and runs batted in were produced on base hits by Brooks Heatherly and Bowen.
Starting pitcher Fysher Dahlke was in cruise mold for Cullman, no hitting the Vikings until they got a single and double against him in the 4th.
He got out of trouble with a strikeout, his 5th at that time.
But Jasper managed to make a game of it with three in the 5th and trailed 5 to 3. Dahlke did strike out the side, but surrendered the runs on three consecutive hits by the Vikings with two outs in the inning.
In the Cullman 5th, the 'Cats took advantage of pitching problems from the Jasper relievers.
Three came out of the bullpen, only to hit four Cullman batters, walk two and allow only two hits  in the inning. The 7 run outburst pushed the lead to 12 to 3.
Graves singled in a pair of runs with the game now in control for the 'Cats to end it by run rule when they batted in their half of the 6th.
Lofton singled to begin the inning then pinch hitter Tucker Perry was hit by a pitch and a walk to pinch hitter Cross Bowen gave Colter Bowen a chance to clinch the area playoff bid.
He ripped a pitch well over the left field fence for a walk off grand slam that ended the contest at 6:30 p.m.
The game was played in 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Bowen would drive in 5 runs in this encounter, hitting 2nd in the batting order.
Loftin, batting 9th, was 3 for 4 with three singles, 3 runs scored.
Cullman and Mortimer Jordan will meet next week to decide who will be the regular season champion in 6A, Area 13.
Game 1 is Tuesday at Bill Shelton Field at 4:30 p,m.
The game will be carried live on 98.3 FM.
Mortimer Jordan beat Jasper two out of three games and is a playoff qualifier after Cullman ended Jasper's bid to make the postseason on April 3.

Photo of Cullman BB coach Brent Patterson exchanging his lineup card before Thursday's game vs. Jasper at Bill Shelton Field.
Patterson now has 501 career victories at Cullman. He has coached the 'Cats since 2009.
GDW photo by Johnny Thornton.