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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) moves to tag the base runner at home plate in a second-round Class 7A playoff game against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) swings at a pitch during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Jaxson Wood (1) heads for second during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Atticus Barton (4) scores for the Bucs during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blasche (15) pitches during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Will Adams (8) catches the throw at first basset record an out during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Camdyn Teague (6) fields the ball in center field during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) makes the throw to second in game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blasche (15) tags first base as James Clemens’ Satchel Wheeler (8) catches the ball during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Carter Jackman (12) makes contact during an at-bat in a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blashe (15) fields the ball during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Will Adams (8) records an out at first during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Jaxson Wood (1) swings at a pitch during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blashe (15) pitches during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) high-fives Carl Pickett (13) as Pickett comes in as a pinch runner during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blashe (15) pitches during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Chase Lawley (20) pitches in a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Baylor Hardy (2) swings at a pitch during game one of a second-round Class 7A playoff series against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Emerson Milligan (14) turns to throw to first in a second-round Class 7A playoff game against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Jaxson Wood (1) makes the throw to first to record an out in a second-round Class 7A playoff game against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Hoover’s Mason Blashe (15) makes the throw to first base to record an out in a second-round Class 7A playoff game against James Clemens at Hoover High School on Thursday, May 2, 2024. Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
The Hoover High School baseball team fell twice to James Clemens in the Class 7A quarterfinals, ending the Bucs' season.
James Clemens earned wins of 10-8 and 8-5.
In the first game, the Bucs grabbed a 4-3 lead after three innings, before a six-run fourth inning gave the Jets the lead for good. Hoover chipped away, adding three runs in the sixth and bringing the tying run to the plate in the seventh.
Six Bucs drove in a single run in the contest, with Jaxson Wood and Baylor Hardy each putting forth multi-hit games in addition to driving in runs.
In the second game of the series, Hoover grabbed the early lead with a pair of runs in the first inning, and the game was tied 3-3 after three innings. James Clemens pushed five across over the fifth and six innings to pull away. Andy Howard and Will Adams each hit home runs and drove in two runs in the game.
The Mountain Brook High School baseball team earned a split with Oxford on Thursday evening in the first two games of the Class 6A quarterfinals, forcing a decisive third game. Mountain Brook led for the first four and a half innings of the opening game of the series, played at Oxford High School, before the Yellow Jackets put together a big fifth inning to win 6-5.
The Spartans jumped on the board with three runs in the first inning, as Bennett Love and Sam Estes drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded, before Paul Barnett’s single made it 3-0. Mountain Brook added single runs in the third and fourth to open up a 5-0 lead.
Oxford exploded for six runs in the fifth and held on from there. John Robicheaux was stellar on the mound for the first four innings, but exited in the fifth and was charged with four runs allowed on just two hits.
Despite the loss, the Spartans responded with another strong effort in the second game, winning 4-2, even with Oxford loading the bases and scoring a pair of runs in the seventh before Kenneth Diddell slammed the door shut with a strikeout to end the game.
Mountain Brook once again struck first in the first inning, as Estes walked with the bases loaded to bring home a run. Paul Barnett drew a bases-loaded walk of his own in the third inning to give the Spartans a 2-0 edge.
Caleb Barnett had a tremendous game, hitting a two-run home run to extend the lead to 4-0, in addition to throwing six strong innings on the mound. He got into the seventh, but a walk and single to lead off the inning put an end to his evening. He struck out 11 in a clutch performance.
Ty Shotts got two outs and Diddell came in to record the final out of the contest.
The third game of the series will be played at 5 p.m. Friday.
