FAIRHOPE –– The 6A Area 3 baseball race ended Saturday with the Fairhope Pirates holding the title and the Foley Lions in the runner-up spot. Only the top-two area teams move on to the playoffs.

At Robertsdale Friday, the Golden Bears won game one 3-2, then fell 14-8 to visiting Fairhope for the split.

On Saturday the No. 3 ranked Pirates exploded at the plate for 12 runs in the first inning, added two in the second and fourth for the 16-3 area closeout.

The Bears scored three in the third and ended up with five hits.

"I'm proud of the kids this whole weekend," Fairhope coach Stu Fuller said, adding that several of his players were ill, apparently from a 24-hour bug. "Yesterday was a tough day and we fought through a lot of adversity on and off the field. With the focus we maintained over the weekend I'm as proud as I can be. They deserve to win the area after their showing in the two series."

Fairhope swept the Lions earlier in their three-game series.

For the Bears — who started the season out strong, meeting but falling to the Pirates in the Hank Aaron Classic finals — getting knocked out of the playoffs was very disappointing.

"We've struggled with scoring runs this year so we were kind of behind the eight ball," said RHS coach Kevin Raley. "They had some high choppers get through and we had some chances to minimize the damage but when you're down 12 runs, it's tough. I'm still proud of these kids. They never gave up. James (Potter, 5-3) pitched well (in game one) for us. Any time you can scratch out a few runs against (Daryl) Norris (6-1), it's nice. He's one of the best pitchers in the state."

The loss in game one was Norris' first of the season and Potter's fifth win. Owen Williams' two-run single and Stevie Byrd's RBI single drove in the Bears' three runs. Norris drove in Garrett Pitts, who tripled on a sacrifice and Justin Hathcock doubled to score Wes Kent who singled for Fairhope.

In game two, Fairhope came from behind an 8-7 RHS lead scoring four in the fifth. Cody Etheridge (3-0) held the Bears the rest of the way for the win in relief. Pitts had three RBIs on three hits, Adam Williams had three RBIs, Kent drove in two on three hits, Evan East had two RBIs including a solo homer and a double and Hathcock went 3-for-4 with an RBI. RHS got three RBIs from Williams, two RBIs from Rick Ousley and one each from Austin Pittman and Flynn Woods.

Saturday, the Pirates had home runs from Pitts and East and each had three RBIs. Norris led the runs batted in column with four in the first inning. Jordan Ebert, Dusty Williams, Peyton Fuller and Etheridge each had an RBI for FHS who had 17 hits on the day. Dusty Baker, who took the win, had two singles and scored twice. Fuller and Etheridge each went an inning in relief.

For the Bears, Patrick Kucera walked and Pittman doubled to set the table for Ousley who doubled them home in the third. Byrd then doubled to score Ousley. Tommy Carlee had two hits for RHS.