The Reset: Bucs baseball, softball teams finish week strong
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 High baseball team racked up 16 hits in a 16-4 drubbing of Pelham on Tuesday night. Lawrence Hammonds and Robby Ashford hit home runs for the Bucs, and Griffin Lape allowed two hits and two runs in four innings of work to get the win. Hammonds and Sonny DiChiara picked up three hits each.
The Bucs dropped a low-scoring game to Oak Mountain, 3-1, on Thursday. Despite the lack of offense, Cole Baker pitched well, going six innings and allowing a single unearned run.
Hoover picked up a couple of wins on Saturday. The Bucs began the day with an 18-8 win over American Christian Academy. Preston Moore led the way offensively, going 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs. DiChiara also homered, while he, Peyton Wilson and Jesse Kelley each drove in two runs.
Moore’s RBI single in the sixth proved the difference in Hoover’s 3-2 win over Oxford (Mississippi) in the second game on Saturday. Evan Veal and Nolan Hammonds also drove in runs. Scott Elgin went the distance on the mound, surrendering three hits and two runs while striking out six batters.
Spain Park
The Spain Park baseball team succumbed to a late Vestavia Hills rally on Tuesday, losing 11-9. The Jags grabbed a 9-6 lead with a five-run fifth inning, but the Rebels put up a five-spot in the seventh to claim the victory. Matthew Moser and Adam Wygle each drove in a pair of runs for the Jags.
The Jags routed Shelby County, 12-0, on Wednesday. Spain Park plated eight runs in a big seventh inning to pull away. Noah Burns allowed just two hits and struck out eight in six scoreless innings on the mound. Colton Ledbetter, Sam Dozier and Colby Mills each drove in two runs.
Spain Park fell to Brooks, 7-3, on Friday. Brody Richey drove in a pair of runs and Cooper White doubled in a 2-for-4 game.
SOFTBALL
Hoover
The Hoover softball team fell to area opponent Tuscaloosa County, 10-0, on Tuesday. The game was tight through the fourth inning, but an eight-run fifth inning from the Wildcats ended the game.
Hoover fell to Helena, 16-0, on Thursday. Harper Niblett had a pair of hits for the Bucs.
The Bucs rebounded on Friday with a 10-9 win over Southside-Gadsden to begin the Buccaneer Round Robin. Hoover scored three runs in the final two innings to win. In the seventh inning, Hannah Presley’s RBI single tied the game before Caroline Nichols capped off a big day by scoring the winning run on a passed ball. Nichols finished 5-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs. Sydney Chandler and Paige Williamson each had three hits in the game and Katie Norris and Hannah Minor each registered multiple hits.
On Saturday, Hoover won two more games to win all three over the weekend. The Bucs beat Hartselle 7-4 behind Niblett’s four-RBI day. Haley Green’s two-run single in the sixth inning put the Bucs ahead for good. The Bucs then knocked off Benjamin Russell, 6-2. Nichols notched two doubles and tallied three RBIs. Brooklyn Cannon doubled at the plate and pitched the complete game in the circle.
Spain Park
The Spain Park softball team took care of Hueytown, 19-9, on Wednesday. Alexis Anderson led the way offensively, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and five RBIs. Lindsay Parker drove in three runs, while Maddie Majors, Caroline Keith, Caroline Wooley and Savannah Rogers all drove in two runs apiece. Caroline Kendrick walked four times and scored four times.
TENNIS
Hoover
The Hoover High School girls tennis team swept Oak Mountain on Monday. Winners of the singles matches included Kennedy Ward, Angie Morales, Julia Keffer, Sarah Holditch, Emma Burch and Arya Tamhane.
On Tuesday, the Hoover boys defeated Northridge, 6-3, while the girls lost by the same 6-3 tally. On Wednesday, the Bucs boys defeated Mountain Brook, 8-1.
Spain Park
The Spain Park boys tennis team edged out Mountain Brook, 5-4, on Monday. It was the Jags’ first win over Mountain Brook since 2007.
SOCCER
Hoover
The Hoover girls soccer team shut out area opponent Tuscaloosa County, 7-0, on Tuesday night. Nicole Kennedy, Sarah Harrell, Mackenzee Smith, Kyla Shaw, Gracie Sears and Maria Buitrago were among the goal-scorers for the Bucs, while Elena Register got the shutout in goal.
Hoover’s boys also beat Tuscaloosa County 7-0 on Tuesday. Vint Narvaez and Luiz Fraga each found the back of the net twice, and Matthew Norris, Sam Bauder and Lawson Shaw scored as well. Rian Johnston made a pair of saves in goal for the shutout.
The Hoover boys took down John Carroll, 4-0, on Thursday, on the strength of four second-half goals. Nick Ibanez, Narvaez, Juan Valle and Shaw notched the goals for the Bucs and Max Rudolph got the shutout in goal.
On Friday, the girls team lost to Vestavia Hills, 4-1. But Saturday, the boys team knocked off the Rebels, 2-1. Richard Ujueta tied the game with a goal in the 33rd minute and Ibanez scored in the 49th minute to give Hoover the lead. Rudolph made two saves to lead Hoover in goal.
Spain Park
The Spain Park High School boys soccer team fell to Mountain Brook on Monday, losing 6-5 in penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 draw. The boys dropped a 4-3 decision to Westminster-Oak Mountain on Thursday.
The Spain Park girls participated in the Tournament of Champions in Jekyll Island, Georgia, over the weekend. On Friday, the Lady Jags defeated Marietta, 4-0. The Lady Jags won by the same 4-0 margin on Saturday morning to defeat River Ridge. Spain Park was defeated 1-0 by Lambert to conclude its run in the tournament.
TRACK AND FIELD
Spain Park
The Spain Park outdoor track and field team competed in the Hewitt-Trussville 7-way Meet on Thursday. For the girls, the Jags 4x100-meter relay team finished third with a time of 52.96. In the discus throw, Katelyn McClure claimed the top spot with a throw of 98 feet, 6 inches. On the boys side, Matthew Gray placed second in the shot put (44-8.25).
Hoover
Hoover's outdoor track and field team took part in Vestavia Hills' King of the Mountain event on Saturday. On the girls side, Jayla Hill placed second in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.85. Caroline Sall came home second in the 800 in 2:28.41. Sall ran the 1600 in 5:30.50 to grab another second-place finish. Haley Stallworth (first, 11:51.03) and Lauren Wallace (third, 12:24.09) both found their way to the podium in the 3200. Chakiya Plummer's time of 15.39 was good enough for second in the 100-meter hurdles. Hoover's 4x100 relay team placed third in 50.13. The 4x800 team came home first with a time of 10:26.23.
Genesis Jones won the high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 4 inches. Jones (17-5) and Adetola Koiki (16-1.5) took the top two spots, respectively, in the long jump. Reagan Hendricks finished third in the triple jump, finishing at 33-3. Riley White (11-0) and Natalie Tashman (10-6) were first and second in the pole vault. Amber Bury's 97-3 throw was good for third in the discus. Anna Kay Clark finished second in the javelin toss after putting up a number of 113-3. Deja Washington was second in the shot put with a 35-6.5 throw.
For the boys, Noah Williams won the 110-meter hurdles in 15.51. Kennon Johnson won the 300 hurdles in 40.09. The 4x800 relay team was good as well, finishing second in 8:35.99. In the field, John Watkins placed third in the triple jump with a distance of 43-2. James Courson won the pole vault, clearing 16-2. Grant Gleason finished third at 12-6. Jonathan Snell won the discus event (126-4) and Ryan Lee placed third in shot put (44-8.5).
NOTABLE
A pair of freshmen hit their first college home runs. On Wednesday, Spain Park’s Mary Kate Teague, a freshman at UAH, went deep in a win over Tuskegee. Wallace State freshman and Hoover product Kaley Anthony hit a three-run homer for the Lions on Thursday.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.