Softball, baseball teams beat Vestavia
The Hoover High School baseball and softball teams each notched a key Class 7A, Area 5 victory on Wednesday night.
Big inning lifts softball
The softball team used a four-run inning to jump ahead and held off the Rebels for a 6-5 victory.
With the game tied 2-2 entering the fourth inning, the Bucs batted around, without the benefit of a hit. Abby Tissier and Willa Green bunted to lead off the inning, and both reached on errors. After another error, Sydney Chandler drew a bases loaded walk to give the Bucs a 3-2 lead.
Two more runs came around to score on Hana Presley’s infield single, as an errant throw sailed near the first-base dugout. Chandler scored the fourth run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Hoover (15-15-1) scored a pair of runs in the first on Tissier’s RBI double down the left line that scored Caroline Hart and Kaley Anthony.
The Rebels (21-7-1) responded in the following inning, as Sarah Cain perfectly placed a single down the right field line to bring home Ashley Dieguez and Jessica Perley and tie the game at 2-2.
After Hoover’s big inning, Vestavia responded again. After Kate Meloun led off the fifth with an infield single, she stole second and third before scoring on a Merritt Cahoon groundout. After a pair of walks, RaeAnn King singled to score Savannah Hayes to cut the Bucs’ lead to 6-4.
The Rebels added another run in the sixth but flew out three times in the final inning to end the ball game, as Tissier tracked a deep fly ball into the gap to make the grab.
On the mound, Madeline Harris got the win, as she pitched the complete game. Harris allowed five runs on eight hits in her seven innings of work, walking three and striking out four.
For the Rebels, Kate Nash and Perley each pitched three innings. Nash was charged with all six runs, with only two of them earned.
Hoover moved to 1-4 in area play with the win. Vestavia fell to 3-2.
Baseball outlasts Rebels
Playing a game postponed from Tuesday, the Bucs baseball team battled the Rebels to a stalemate for seven innings before breaking through with a run in the eighth to win, 1-0.
Hoover left 10 men on base in the contest, but finally scratched its run across in the eighth, as Brandon Agsalud reached on an error to lead off the inning, advanced to third on a Sonny DiChiara double and scored on Tyler Williams’ single.
The Bucs loaded up the bases in the inning but were unable to come up with any insurance runs.
Luckily, that was all starting pitcher Brock Guffey -- who went the distance and allowed just four hits and stranded all of them -- needed. Guffey struck out eight men in the complete game shutout.
Hoover notched seven hits in the game, with two each from DiChiara, Williams and Peyton Wilson. The Rebels scratched across four hits, including two from Louisiana-Lafayette signee Christian Cusimano.
Colton Lewis started the game for Vestavia, as he threw 97 pitches in six shutout innings. Bo Minor was charged with the loss.
Both teams moved to 2-1 in the area, and will finish their series on Thursday, with a doubleheader at Hoover.