All hands on deck for Lady Bucs
The Lady Bucs have a full deck of cards now.
Junior catcher Abby Tissier missed about 20 games in the middle of the season for the Hoover softball team with an injury.
“It was awful having to sit,” she said. “I liked watching a lot of people step up and liked watching us being able to get back at it, but I’m happy to be back.”
Tissier announced her return emphatically, returning for the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament last week. In her first game back, she homered and drove in three runs to lift Hoover over Thompson.
In 39 games this season, Tissier has a team-leading 13 home runs and has driven in 46 runs, while batting for a .383 average.
Nothing compared to her team’s victory over Tuscaloosa County in the area tournament, a win that sealed the Lady Bucs' regional spot. Jamie Gregg hit a three-run homer -- just her third of the season -- in the fifth inning to put them ahead for good.
“Like the best feeling ever,” Tissier said of beating Tuscaloosa County. “It was a really good game. They’re a really good team.”
Among the offensive leaders, Kaley Anthony leads the squad with a 56 RBIs on the season. Gregg currently has a .426 average. Shelby Lowery provides a steady presence, hitting .379 with 30 RBIs. Madeline Harris has driven in 35 runs.
Abby Grace Praytor has been the horse on the mound this season, posting a 24-9 record with a 2.42 earned run average. Harris also contributes in the circle, with a 17-5 record and 2.55 ERA.
After advancing to the north central regional a year ago, the Lady Bucs are back and looking to advance to the state tournament this time around.
“I think we’re prepared for this weekend,” head coach Lexi Shrout said. “We’ve worked hard to get to this point. The girls are excited, and they’re ready to go this weekend.”
The challenge begins right off the bat, with a first-round matchup with Spain Park at 4:30 p.m. Friday, at Tuscaloosa’s Sokol Park. Opposite them, Oak Mountain and Vestavia Hills will be playing, as the other two teams in the Class 7A regional.
“We’re excited to prove ourselves in big play with Spain Park, and Oak Mountain and Vestavia are all really good teams. We’re excited,” Tissier said.
Win or lose, all four teams turn around and play again at 7:30 p.m. The team that wins both games on the day advances to the state tournament. The two teams that split return to play at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.
Hoover feels like it has what it takes to move on.
“I think it’s going to be more competitive this year, but as a team, we’re stronger all around,” Shrout said. “Our pitching’s a little bit better, our hitting’s a little bit better, our defense is a little bit better, so I’m excited to see what we do this weekend.”