Athens knocked off Hazel Green 14-2 on Tuesday night to finish runner-up at the Class 6A North Regional in Florence and punch its ticket to Oxford next week.

The No. 5 Golden Eagles improved to 25-13 following the victory versus the No. 7 Trojans — their first in five attempts this season.

It’ll be the fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament for Athens, which plays South Regional champion Baldwin County at 9 a.m. next Tuesday in Choccolocco Park. The Golden Eagles finished runner-up last season after winning the title in 2022 — their first state crown since 2010.

Athens overcame a heartbreaking loss in the winners’ bracket final — No. 4 Hartselle scored six runs in the seventh inning to triumph 17-16 in a back-and-forth clash — to put together a stellar performance against their area foe Hazel Green.

“I’m very proud of the resiliency that our team showed today,” Athens coach Travis Barnes said. “They fought back to defeat Hazel Green after a tough loss to Hartselle. We scored 30 runs in two games and it was a total team effort defensively as well.”

Morgan Stiles led off the contest with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch to put the Golden Eagles ahead 1-0. Amaya Green (single) and Charlie Barnes (double) followed with run-scoring hits shortly afterward to extend the advantage to three.

Caitlyn Tedford, Jessica Waggoner, Jazzalyn Davis and Stiles recorded RBI singles over the next two innings to push the lead to 7-1.

In the sixth inning, Tedford scored on a wild pitch before Barnes added on with a two-run single. Green provided a two-run double in the seventh and touched home plate later in the inning on a Hazel Green error. Carly Ennis capped the scoring with an RBI double.

Lily Lowery, meanwhile, picked up the win in the circle. Her offense aided the cause with 16 hits, including three players — Davis, Barnes and Green — with three apiece. Stiles and Lowery each tallied two, while Tedford, Ennis and Waggoner had one apiece.

Elsewhere, No. 9 Athens Bible advanced in Class 1A with an 11-inning victory over Lynn.

West Limestone, meanwhile, saw its season come to a close with a 4-3 loss to West Morgan.

See capsules below.

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No. 4 Hartselle 17, No. 5 Athens 16

The Tigers outlasted the Golden Eagles in a thrilling affair on Tuesday following a walk-off single.

Athens notched seven runs in the second inning — Stiles (two-RBI double), Waggoner (RBI single) and Ennis (RBI single) highlighted the offensive effort with run-scoring hits — to grab an 8-2 lead.

The teams — 33 hits between them — then battled tooth-and-nail from there.

Hartselle responded with three runs in the bottom half of the second and four more in the third inning to build a 9-8 cushion. Lowery momentarily put the Golden Eagles back in front with a two-run double in the fifth, but the Tigers answered in their half of the frame with a pair of RBI singles to secure an 11-10 cushion.

That lead remained until the seventh — and then Athens exploded.

Tedford’s two-run single made it 12-11, Green eventually drew a bases-loaded walk and Barnes followed with a single that scored two. A sacrifice fly from Ennis capped the six-run frame.

Unfortunately for the Golden Eagles, though, Hartselle matched it.

Kaelyn Jones slugged a grand slam, the Tigers tied it on a bases-loaded hit by pitch later in the frame and then KJ Prater ended the wild contest with a walk-off single.

Barnes paced Athens offensively with three hits, while Kara Crews, Davis, Ennis, Waggoner and Stiles tallied two apiece. Lowery and Tedford, meanwhile, produced one apiece.

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Class 1A

No. 6 Hackleburg 12, No. 9 Athens Bible 2

The Trojans got off to a fast start in Tuesday’s opener, but it wasn’t enough.

Addyson Butler and Hadley Robison each hit RBI singles in the first inning to put Athens Bible up 2-0. The Panthers, however, gained control from there — scoring in each of the next four innings to pull away. Kaylee Carter, Destiny Burns, Claire Holt, Butler and Robison had one hit apiece.

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No. 9 Athens Bible 7, Lynn 5

The Trojans outlasted the Bears in an 11-inning thriller on Tuesday to keep their season alive.

Hadley Robison hit a two-run single in the first inning and Butler helped extend the team’s lead following an RBI single in the third.

Lynn eventually tied the bout, but the Trojans surged ahead once more following RBI singles by Anna Beth Burns and Destiny Burns in the sixth inning.

Kamri Tittle’s two-run double in the seventh, however, sent the game into extras.

Lynn had runners on second and third with no outs in the eighth inning, but Brooke Blakely managed to escape the jam without allowing a run. In the ninth, the Trojans again avoided defeat after completing a clutch relay to throw out the potential game-winning run at home.

Athens Bible eventually broke through in the 11th inning after a two-out Lynn error on pop fly allowed Anna Beth Burns and Destiny Burns to touch home plate. Holt then retired the 
side in order for the victory.

Anna Beth Burns totaled three hits, while Butler, Holt and Hadley Robison each had two. Carter, Ann Tyler Pressnell, Hannah Robison and Destiny Burns, meanwhile, each produced one.

Athens Bible will look to keep its season alive on Wednesday, when it plays Belgreen at 9 a.m.

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Class 4A

West Morgan 4, No. 5 West Limestone 3

The Wildcats’ bid for a state tournament berth ended following a tough loss on Tuesday.

Lilee Legg recorded an RBI single and RBI groundout for West Limestone, which entered the seventh inning tied with the Rebels at 2-apiece.

West Morgan, though, soon plated two runs with a pair of two-out singles to secure the lead.

And although West Limestone battled back — Ashlyn Smith’s RBI fielder’s choice brought the Wildcats to within a run and Bella Birdsong walked to place the tying runner on second — the Rebels ultimately got the final out to advance in the losers’ bracket.

Legg, Lilly Bethune, JuliAnn Kyle, Ella Yarbrough and Lucee Legg each had one hit for West Limestone, which finished its strong season with a 38-11-3 record.

Kyle also struck out 11 in the circle.