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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blanche (15) pitches during a game against Spain Park for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Spain Park’s Lucas Harvey (21) pitches during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Will Adams (8) leads off first base during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Brady Sheppard (19) fields a bunt during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Spain Park’s Lucas Harvey (21) pitches during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) throws the ball to second base during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blanche (15) pitches during a game against Spain Park for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Spain Park’s Sam Waldrop (4) tags first as Will Adams (8) catches the ball during a game for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Spain Park’s Matthew Widra (3) catches a fly ball in short center field during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Spain Park’s Lucas Harvey (21) pitches on during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Spain Park’s Aiden Berke (6) tags Hoover’s Andy Howard (28) out as he dives toward second base during a game for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Hoover head coach Adam Moseley talks with Mason Blaine (15) as the Bucs infielders during a game against Spain Park for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) catches a throw at home plate as Spain Park’s Andrew Thornton (25) scores for the Jags at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Will Adams (8) catches a throw at first base to record an out during a game against Spain Park for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Spain Park’s Rhys Jones (11) heads for home plate to score for the Jags during a game against Hoover for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) makes contact during an at-bat in a game against Spain Park for Military Appreciation Night at Hoover High School on Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Hoover High School baseball team scrapped its way to a home win Wednesday night, taking down rival Spain Park 6-5.
Seniors Mason Blasche and Andrew Pitts kept the Buccaneers afloat, before sophomore Will Adams broke the game open late. It wasn’t always pretty. The Bucs committed four errors on the night and were caught stealing multiple times, but Hoover got the job done when it mattered most.
“We just needed to execute. We didn’t do a great job on the bases tonight, and that almost cost us the game. We played a little bit loose tonight. But we just needed to execute routine plays, and if we did that I thought we’d have a chance,” said Hoover head coach Adam Moseley.
Hoover struck first, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning courtesy of an Andy Howard single. Spain Park was unable to score in the second inning, but built a threat in the top of the third. With one out and the bases loaded, Blasche allowed a sacrifice fly before escaping the inning with a strikeout, giving up just one run.
It was a theme for Hoover pitching the entire night. No matter the situation, the Bucs never let their opponents break the game open. The potent Jaguars offense stranded a total of 12 runners and recorded no extra base hits.
“That was big, any time you can make them station-to-station. They’re a good offense,” said Moseley. “They not only hit, but they run the bases well and they bunt, and any time you can keep them station-to-station it gives you a chance. Their coaching staff does such a good job. It’s just hard to keep them down for long.”
The Bucs broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jaxson Wood and Camdyn Teague singled to open the frame, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Senior designated hitter Pitts stepped to the plate and rolled a bunt down the third base line. The throw to first wasn’t in time, and Hoover had loaded the bases with no outs.
“He’s worked on his game and he got a huge bunt down for us. Any time a senior commits to doing the little things, it makes your team better,” Moseley said.
Run-scoring singles from Baylor Hardy and Adams made the score 3-1 Hoover going into the top of the fifth, at which point a Bucs error allowed Spain Park to tie the game at 3-3. After a scoreless inning, Adams stepped to the plate in the bottom of the sixth with runners on second and third. The sophomore deposited a pitch over the right field fence, sending the Bucs dugout into a frenzy.
“[Adams] is just a great player, man,” said Moseley. “Him and Mason [Blasche] have helped carry our team a lot early. It was good to see him have that big swing there for sure.”
The home run gave Adams four RBIs on the night and staked Hoover to a 6-3 lead it would not relinquish.
The Jaguars put together a string of hits in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs, but the rally came up a run short. As fog began to settle in center field, Hoover pitcher Emerson Milligan entered the game and induced a quick flyout, ending the game.
Hoover, now 5-8 on the year, travels to Oak Mountain on Tuesday, Spain Park falls to 9-4 and hosts John Carroll on Tuesday as well.
