Bucs baseball, softball state bound
The Hoover High School baseball and softball teams are finishing up fantastic spring seasons this week.
The Bucs baseball team has won three Class 7A playoff series to advance to the championship series against Auburn. Hoover begins the final series Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Paterson Field in Montgomery.
The series continues Thursday morning, with Game 2 set for 10 a.m. and a decisive third game to follow if needed. Hoover is seeking its first state title since 2017.
The Hoover softball team is headed to the 7A state tournament for the first time since 2014, after earning the No. 1 qualifier position from the West Regional in Tuscaloosa last Friday. The Bucs begin their state tournament run Thursday at 9 a.m.
Last weekend, Hoover’s baseball team rallied to take down Florence in a three-game series. Florence blew past the Bucs 8-1 in the first game of the series Thursday, breaking open a tight game with four runs in the seventh inning.
Hoover won the second game later Tuesday, notching single runs in the first, third and fifth innings and getting a strong pitching performance to win 3-1. Lucas Steele, Sean Agslaud and Evan Radford each knocked in a run to back up Matthew Hawsey and Walter Ford.
Hawsey got the win on the mound, taking the ball to start the game and allowing just an unearned run on three hits in five innings of work. He struck out six. Ford came on for the save, hurling the final two innings and striking out five.
Hoover earned the win in Game 3 on Friday, beating the Falcons 5-3. Florence jumped on the board first with two runs in the second inning, but Hoover took the lead for good in the third, scoring three runs without putting the ball in play. Over six consecutive batters, Hoover drew two hit-by-pitches and four walks to score three times.
The Bucs tacked on additional runs in the fourth and sixth. Colin Rengering got the start for the Bucs and went 4 1/3 inning, allowing two unearned runs on four hits. Tyler Wilson earned the save, allowing one run over the final 2 2/3 innings.
Hoover’s softball team earned a couple dramatic victories at the regional tournament last Friday to lock up its spot at the state tournament. The Bucs are set to face Sparkman in the first round of the state tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford on Thursday at 9 a.m.
In their first game of the tournament, the Bucs rallied for three runs in the seventh inning to beat Dothan 6-5. Bailee Tramell’s two-run hit put Hoover ahead and proved to be the game-winner. Campbell Hecklinski drove in two runs in the game and Bella Foran had three hits and an RBI. Olivia Christian hurled the final 3 1/3 innings in scoreless fashion to pick up the win.
Emily Sims’ run-scoring single in the bottom of the seventh lifted Hoover to a 3-2 win over Thompson and guaranteed its spot at state. Brookelyn Cannon went the distance in the circle for the Bucs to earn the win, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits in seven innings.