ROBERTSDALE, Ala. — In a league brimming with teams from the Sunshine State, the Alabama clubs gleamed brightest this season to sweep the top trophies as Bayshore defeated neighboring rival Central 2-1 for the 2017 Panhandle Christian Conference baseball champion and runner-up spots.

After forfeiting game one due to a pitch-count violation Friday, Bayshore evened the series with an 18-0 game two win to force the tie-break final. Game three was tied twice (3-3 and 7-7) with Central’s Saints coming up short in a bottom-of-the-seventh rally with the tying run at second and the winning run at the plate.

The Eagles’ Lane Wilkinson was named the 2017 championship-series’ Most Valuable Player. He had seven RBIs including five runs in the 14-12 deciding game.

“I am so proud our players for how they have played and conducted themselves all season,” said Bayshore head coach Jeff Hauge. “They finished second last year to a very good Emmanuel Christian team and dedicated this year to getting back to the finals and winning our first-ever championship in baseball. And to do it in only the program's third year really speaks to their dedication and effort.

"Of course we went to a series format this season which is new and more exciting. And with a very tough, scrappy Central team that never quits making it to the championship along with us, it just made it even more so. Central has to be proud of their effort, too. They always show up to play hard all the way through.”

Hauge added some words about his seniors.

“I’m really proud of Bryant and Charlie Brock and appreciate the hard work they put in helping us build this program. We came a long way since starting (the baseball program) three years ago and we have some great young players, but I don’t think we could have accomplished this with out Charlie and Bryant.”

Central head coach Shane Fountain was also proud of his players including his two seniors.

“It was a good year and it came down to a very serious battle right to the end. In the second game, we just made too many errors. But in game three, we bounced back and battled hard all the way. So, I’m very proud of my players and my two seniors Connor Atwell and David Enfinger who are very fine young men and great athletes. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work with them and all our players through these years. ”

The Eagles held a 13-9 lead at the end of the opener in the best-of-three series on Friday, but the pitch-count rule appeal overturned the decision.

In the third game, Central built early 4-0 and 7-3 leads before Bayshore took a 14-8 advantage into the final inning before holding off the Saints’ late four-run surge.

Sam Malone got the game-three win in 2.2 innings of relief. Nathan Vincent picked up the save. Wilkinson drove in three runs with a bases-loaded triple. Max Jones, Hunter Hardy and Trevor Thrasher each had two hits.

In game two, Charlie Brock pitched a two-hit shutout with four strikeouts. Thrasher had three hits with two RBIs. Jones also drove in two runs while Malone had an RBI double. Brock and Vincent had two hits each.