Crackers Outlast Monsters in 10-Inning Thriller, Advance to Championship Series

Oxford, AL - 

In a back-and-forth battle that stretched inot extra innings, the Atlanta Crackers edged the Choccolocco Monsters 6-5 on Friday night at Choccolocco Park, earning a dramatic semifinal victory and moving one game closer to the 2025 SBL Championship Series.

The Crackers jumped out to a 4-0 lead behind a pair of unearned runs in the second and a two-RBI single from Connor Hilton in the 5th. After the Monsters cut the deficit to three in the 6th, the Crackers extended their lead to 5-1 in the 7th on a triple from Jack Taylor, who later scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning on a clutch RBI single from Trevor Allan. 

The Monsters refused to go quietly, rallying for four runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to tie the game. RJ Brooks sparked the surge with an RBI triple, and Melvin Blocker tied it up with a two-run single, but Gavin Zoeller shut the door late. Starter Jacob Autry was sharp for Atlanta, going five shutout innings with four strikeouts. 

With the win, the Crackers stand just one win away from clinching a berth in the Championship in back-to-back seasons.