The LBWCC Saints’ baseball team put up a strong fight, but a late rally lifted the Chattahoochee Valley Saints to a 9-8 win the Alabama Community College Conference championship game on Wednesday at Historic Eagle Stadium in Ozark.

Jesse Hall got the game started with a single.

Bryson Gandy put a charge into a ball to center that traveled some 400 feet before the Pirates’ center fielder hauled it in on the warning track for the first out of the frame.

Hall attempted to steal second, but was thrown out for the second out of the inning.

Trevor Shelton had a hard-hit ball back up the middle of the diamond, but Davis Schwartz made the play for the third out.

In the bottom of the first inning, Saints’ starting pitcher Russell Olsey struck out Schwartz for the first out.

Olsey got the next batter to pop out to Gandy in center before Kale Ledford picked up the first Pirates’ hit of the game.

The Pirates then got another hit and a walk to load the bases.

Olsey settled in and got the next batter to line out to left field to end the threat.

Opening up the top of the second inning, Reid Whitaker blasted a ball over the wall in left for a solo home run.

No other Saint was able to reach in the inning, but LBWCC was on top 1-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning.

Olsey got the first batter of the bottom of the second inning to ground out to Hall for the first out.

The next batter reached off of an error before Olsey struck out the Carson Allison for the second out.

Schwartz kept the inning alive when he reached off of a two-out error.

The Pirates then loaded the bases with a walk.

Olsey got the next batter to fly out to left field to end the threat.

After two innings of play, the Saints were on top 1-0.

The Saints went down in order in the top of the third inning.

Olsey got the first batter of the bottom of the third inning to ground out to Shelton for the first out.

The next batter grounded out for the second out before a two-out double gave the Pirates a runner.

Jack Lipson then jacked the first pitch he saw over the wall in left field to put the Pirates up 2-1.

JoJo Odachowski kept the inning alive when he reached off of a bunt single.

Olsey got the next batter to ground out, but Chatt Valley was up 2-1 after three innings of play.

The Saints loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth inning when Shelton and Whitaker walked and Parker Griffin was hit by a pitch.

Innes Mackay followed with a single to tie the game 2-2.

In the top of the fifth inning, J Palmer got things going with a leadoff walk.

Chatt Valley changed pitchers following the walk and Hall welcomed him with a two-run home run to give the Saints a 4-2 lead.

Gandy kept the frame rolling with a triple to right field.

Whitaker was hit by a pitch with one out and then a single from Griffin gave the Saints a 5-2 lead.

The Saints added another run in the inning when Whitaker came around to score on a hit batter.

LBWCC continued to attack and built an 8-3 lead going into the bottom of the ninth inning.

Chatt Valley opened up the final frame with a solo home run.

The Pirates then loaded the bases with one out in the inning.

The next batter belted a pitch over the wall for a grand slam to tie the game 8-8.

Chatt Valley then got a walk and the runner advanced to third off of a steal and an error.

The Saints intentionally walked the next two batters so there would be a force play at any base, but the Chatt Valley got a seeing-eye single to push across the winning run for a 9-8 victory.