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Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover celebrates during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover celebrates during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover celebrates during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's Bella Foran (27) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's MC Detwiler (7) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's Ki Davis (6) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's Ava Hartman (4) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's Mollie Hanson (0) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
Class 7A, Area 5 Tournament
Hoover's Isabelle Andre (11) during the Class 7A, Area 5 softball tournament at Hoover High School on Saturday, April 27, 2024. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
HOOVER – Flipping the script from last season’s disappointing exit, the Hoover High School softball team hosted and won the Class 7A, Area 5 tournament over the weekend.
After winning the regular season area title last spring, the Bucs were unable to advance out of the area tournament. They hosted the area tournament as the top seed once again this season, and won the area tournament for the first time since 2014.
Hoover won three of four games over Friday and Saturday to claim a spot at the East Regional tournament next Monday in Albertville.
On Friday, the Bucs began the tournament with a 10-1 win over Tuscaloosa County. The Bucs jumped on the Wildcats early and the game was never in doubt, as they opened up a 10-0 lead after three innings of play. Catcher Lindsey Westhoven hit a home run to left field, and shortstop Bella Foran drove in four runs to lead Hoover. The top of the lineup was lethal for the Bucs, as leadoff hitter Hannah Christian knocked in three runs and Ki Davis had three hits and two RBIs ahead of Foran. Kaitlyn Raines was masterful in the circle, throwing the complete game and allowing just a single run on five hits.
Hoover sealed its spot in the final and a berth at regionals later Friday with a 3-2 win over Thompson. The Bucs struck first in the third inning, as Christian’s RBI double and knocked in MC Detwiler. Mollie Hanson provided insurance in the sixth inning, as her two-run hit proved pivotal. Thompson scored a pair of runs in the seventh before Olivia Christian sealed the deal and finished off her complete game. She gave up three hits over seven innings in the win.
Thompson eliminated Vestavia Hills on Saturday afternoon to get another crack at Hoover in the tournament final. In the double elimination format, Thompson needed a pair of wins over Hoover to take the trophy. The Warriors got one victory, taking the first game by a 3-1 score. The game was scoreless through five innings, before each team scratched one across in the sixth. Thompson plated two more in the seventh to take the win.
The Bucs rallied in the second game of the day, though, winning 3-2 and claiming the title. Thompson scored first in the third inning, but the Bucs responded with three runs in the bottom half and made that hold up. Three straight hits from Foran, Olivia Christian and Lindsey Westhoven provided the three runs. Haley Westhoven earned the win, going six strong innings and allowing two runs on six hits. Raines came on for the seventh to get the final three outs.
Hoover and Thompson will be the Area 5 representatives at the East Regional in Albertville. Two teams from Area 7 — which consists of Huntsville, Sparkman, Grissom and Albertville — will join them there. The top two teams in the regional will advance to the state tournament in Oxford.
