Kyle Parmley
Spain Park Softball
Spain Park's Maddie Majors (1) hits the ball during the Sidney Cooper Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Georgia.
Over the course of the year, the Hoover Sun will keep you up to date on the various Hoover and Spain Park high school athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.
BASEBALL
Hoover
The Hoover baseball team knocked off crosstown rival Spain Park, 6-2, on Monday evening. Sonny DiChiara’s two-run single in the fifth inning put the Bucs ahead for good. DiChiara finished the game with a scoreless inning on the mound. Evan Veal, Nolan Hammonds and Max Garvey each drove in runs for Hoover. Griffin Lape started and allowed two runs in four innings, while Connor Campbell threw two scoreless relief innings.
The Bucs grabbed a pair of victories on Saturday, beating Grissom 7-6 and shutting out Cullman 5-0. Hoover took a 7-1 lead over Grissom before allowing five runs over the final three innings. Preston Moore and Daniel Swatek each drove in two runs in the contest. Scott Elgin allowed just one hit in seven innings in the shutout of Cullman, while Peyton Wilson homered in the game.
Spain Park
The Spain Park baseball team fell to Hoover, 6-2, on Monday evening. Sam Dozier and Matthew Moser drove in runs to help the Jags tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. But DiChiara’s fifth-inning two-run single gave Hoover a lead it would not relinquish.
The Jags rebounded to pick up a resounding 22-0 win over Gadsden City on Wednesday. Noah Burns surrendered just one hit in four innings on the mound. Dozier drove in four runs, while Colby Mills knocked in three runs on a perfect 4-for-4 evening.
Spain Park lost a tough game to Smiths Station on Friday, falling 4-3 in nine innings. Cooper White registered three hits on the night and drove in a run, while Colton Ledbetter knocked in two.
Ledbetter doubled, homered and drove in four runs in Spain Park’s 7-5 loss to Alma Bryant on Saturday, one of two games the Jags played. In the second game, Spain Park fell in a shootout to Central-Phenix City, 15-10. Moser knocked in three runs for the Jags.
SOFTBALL
Hoover
The Hoover softball team fell to Hewitt-Trussville, 10-1, on Tuesday. Harper Niblett drove in the lone run for the Bucs, while Pepper Nichols notched two hits in the game. The Bucs dropped an area contest to Vestavia Hills, 11-0, on Thursday. Campbell Hecklinski notched a pair of hits in the contest.
Hoover played in the Helena Round Robin over the weekend. On Friday, the Bucs split their two games. They fell to Springville, 7-0, before defeating Cullman, 9-1. In the win over Cullman, Hecklinski notched a pair of hits and drove in two runs. Brynn Parker allowed an unearned run on five hits in five innings of work.
The Bucs split again on Saturday. In a 10-6 loss to Helena, Hannah Presley homered and Katie Norris registered a pair of hits. Hoover earned an impressive 5-4 win over Oak Mountain to conclude the day. Presley homered again and drove in three runs, and Brooklyn Cannon’s bases loaded, walk-off single gave the Bucs the win.
Spain Park
The Spain Park softball team grabbed an 11-0 win over Mountain Brook on Thursday in area play. Annabelle Widra was nothing shy of dominant on the mound. She allowed just two hits in six innings of work, striking out 14 batters. Widra also drove in a pair of runs at the plate. Kate Campbell had three RBIs. Bailey Bowers doubled and tripled and knocked in a pair of runs. Lindsay Parker knocked in two as well.
Over the weekend, the Jags played in the Oxford Spring Sting, and picked up a pair of wins in pool play on Friday. They knocked off White Plains, 8-6, as Bowers and Maddie Majors each racked up three hits. Bowers drove in a pair of runs as well. In the 7-6 win over Moody, Spain Park built a 7-0 lead before seeing it nearly evaporate in the final inning. Parker and Savannah Rogers each drove in a pair of runs and Widra registered three hits.
Spain Park put together an impressive run on Saturday to win the Oxford Spring Sting. The Jags concluded pool play with a 3-1 loss to Brookwood, but won all three games in bracket play to win the tournament. In a 13-0 win over Susan Moore, Bowers, Rogers and Campbell each drove in three runs, while Widra threw a one-hit shutout over four innings.
The Jags avenged the Brookwood loss earlier in the day with a walk-off, 5-4, win in the semifinals. Bowers’ RBI groundout would be all the Jags needed to beat Daphne 1-0 in the final, as Widra allowed just two hits in four innings of work, while striking out eight.
SOCCER
Hoover
The Hoover boys soccer team began the Metro Tournament on Monday with a 2-1 win over Pelham. Finn Dowdy and Nick Ibanez were the goal scorers for the Bucs.
The Hoover girls picked up a 2-0 win over a solid Homewood squad on Tuesday. Elena McGowin and Nicole Kennedy scored goals for the Lady Bucs, while Elena Register picked up the shutout in goal.
Hoover’s boys defeated Spain Park, 5-2, in the Metro Tournament on Wednesday. Ibanez and Keagan McEwan scored first-half goals for Hoover, with the game tied at 2-2 at the half. Hoover scored all three goals in the second half to win, with Dowdy notching a pair and Vint Narvaez capping it off.
The Hoover boys continued play in the Metro Tournament with a 3-1 win over Chelsea on Friday. Also on Friday, the Lady Bucs fell to Thompson, 2-1. On Saturday to conclude the Metro Tournament, the Hoover boys played Oak Mountain to a scoreless draw before emerging victorious in penalty kicks.
Spain Park
The Spain Park boys soccer team beat Thompson 2-0 on Monday. Sam Marino and Diego Aguirre scored their first varsity goals for the Jags, while MJ Dimbo made five saves in goal for the shutout.
On Tuesday, the Jags knocked off Chelsea, 4-1. Brooks Rice got the Jags on the board, before Chelsea tied things early in the first half. Sam Marino, Rice and Reece Eberhardt scored the final three goals of the match to give Spain Park the win. Also on Tuesday, Spain Park’s girls grabbed a 1-0 win over Mountain Brook.
Spain Park’s boys fell to Hoover, 5-2, in the Metro Tournament on Wednesday. The Jags jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but surrendered the edge by halftime and allowed three unanswered goals in the second half.
GOLF
The Hoover and Spain Park girls golf teams finished Hoover’s March Madness Tournament as co-champs on Tuesday. Eighth-grader Neysa Dechachutinan led the Bucs with a two-day total of 158, followed by 159 from Carson McKie.
The Spain Park boys golf team won the Bradley Johnson Memorial on Tuesday, finishing four strokes ahead of Mountain Brook (600-604). Nick Dunlap finished tied for second with a 141 total over two rounds. The boys also won the Glencoe Invitational on Saturday, as Matt Stuart led the way with a 71.
TENNIS
Hoover’s boys tennis team defeated Oak Mountain, 8-1, on Wednesday. Zac Tucker, Kartik Patel, Jake Berg, Andrew Pierson, and Spencer Bourn won singles matches.
TRACK AND FIELD
The Hoover and Spain Park outdoor track and field teams competed in the Homewood Invitational at Samford University on Saturday. For the Hoover girls, Sydney Steely (7:17.14) and Ava Weems (7:28.49) finished first and third, respectively in the 2,000-meter steeplechase. The 4x400 relay team placed third (4:10.06) and the 4x800 team finished second (9:52.73). Genesis Jones finished second in the long jump, with a distance of 17 feet, 4 inches. Riley White won the pole vault by clearing 11-8.
For Hoover’s boys, RJ Nelson ran the 100 in 10.82 to finish second. Hakim Ruffin was second in the 400, finishing in 49.90. Kennon Johnson won the 300 hurdles with a time of 39.94. John McCrackin took home top honors in the 2,000 steeplechase (6:24.29). The 4x100 relay team won (42.74) and the 4x400 team finished second (3:29.35). John Watkins was second in the triple jump (45-11.75) and James Courson won the pole vault competition (15-8).
Spain Park’s Katelyn McClure finished third in discus, with a throw of 103-6.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
