Kyle Parmley
Hoover Softball
Hoover's Kaley Anthony (15) in a game against Tuscaloosa County on April 12, 2016, at Jim Brown Field at Hoover High School.
Hoover got solid all-around production en route to winning the Ravenwood Raptor Classic in Brentwood, Tenn., last weekend.
The Lady Bucs won six games in a row after dropping the first game of the tournament, including five straight on Saturday.
"We put our bats together and got a couple key hits to score a couple runs," Hoover head coach Lexi Shrout said. "We played well in pressure situations and we manufactured runs."
Four of the five victories on Saturday came by a single run, giving the Lady Bucs confidence that they can win tight ballgames, after falling in the same situations a few times in the previous weeks.
"Playing in those pressure situations is going to help us in the long run when we get to the postseason and I think it was a confidence booster for our team," Shrout said.
Junior shortstop Kaley Anthony led the way offensively for Hoover in the team's seven-game run in the tournament, as she hit for a .538 average (7-for-13) with eight runs batted in. Anthony's performance was good enough to garner MVP honors.
Abby Grace Praytor and Madeline Harris were both solid on the mound for the Lady Bucs all weekend. Praytor picked up four wins, going 18.2 innings with a 2.63 earned run average to go along with 20 strikeouts. Harris got the other two wins, as she pitched 10.2 innings over the weekend.
Both pitchers showed they could swing the bat as well. Praytor hit the team's only home run of the weekend, and Harris drove in five runs.
Shelby Lowery, Jamie Gregg, and Caroline Nichols did their part, getting on base at a high rate. But Hoover also got big contributions from the back end of the lineup as well.
"The bottom of the lineup was key for us this weekend," Shrout said. "Morgan Jalbert put together several hits for us and drove in one of our winning runs. She's been a steady player, but this weekend, she really picked it up."
Hoover concludes Class 7A, Area 5 play Tuesday at 5 p.m., as it hosts Oak Mountain. With a win, the Lady Bucs will force a tie atop the area. The Lady Bucs also welcome in Central-Phenix City Thursday before hosting 32 teams in the Hoover Classic over the weekend.
