Kyle Parmley
Hoover vs. Vestavia Hills Softball
Hoover celebrates during a game between Vestavia Hills and Hoover on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019, at Jim Brown Field in Hoover.
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
In a rematch from last spring’s playoffs, the Hoover baseball team topped Hewitt-Trussville 9-2 on Tuesday afternoon. The Bucs scored three runs over the first two innings and never trailed. Peyton Wilson had a big day at the plate for the Bucs, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four runs batted in. Jackson Holland’s two-run double in the sixth accounted for the Huskies’ runs.
Hoover began play in the Perfect Game High School Showdown on Thursday by sweeping a pair of teams from Georgia. In the Bucs’ first game, they picked up an 8-1 win over Houston County. The game was scoreless through three innings, before the Bucs broke through in the fourth and tacked on in the following two innings. Robby Ashford and Wilson each registered three hits and two RBIs. Cole Baker was stellar on the mound, surrendering just four hits and an unearned run in six innings of work.
The Bucs struck early and often in the second game on Thursday, knocking off St. Pius X 8-4. Jesse Kelley led the way offensively with two hits, a double and four RBIs. Colson Lawrence got the start on the mound and earned the win, going five innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out nine.
Hoover’s luck was not as good on Friday, as the Bucs fell to a strong IMG Academy (Fla.) team 17-0. But they rebounded on Saturday to finish the event with an 8-4 win over Cartersville (Ga.). Wilson and Evan Radford led the offense with a pair of RBIs apiece.
Spain Park
The Spain Park baseball team got last week off to a good start with a doubleheader sweep over Brooks on Tuesday. In the first game, the Jags scored in all but one inning en route to a 10-1 win. Ethan Smallwood belted a two-run home run for Spain Park and Carter Sidor doubled and drove in three runs. Matthew Robbins went six innings on the mound, allowing just three hits and an unearned run while striking out eight.
The Jags had to rally in the second game and scored seven runs in the sixth inning to earn an 8-3 victory. Brooks scored a pair in the first and added an insurance run in the fifth, but the Jags took the lead for good on John Poist’s bases-clearing double in the decisive sixth. Lane Willis followed with an RBI double and Robbins’ two-run double put a cap on the huge inning. Will May earned the win on the mound by hurling the final two innings in perfect fashion.
Oak Mountain notched a 9-4 win over Spain Park on Thursday. Jackson Kimbrell earned the win for the Eagles, as he allowed two hits and two runs (one earned) in five innings of work. Dylan Fraser, Hunter Hall and Jack Wilson all had two hits and two RBIs in the contest. Landon Cato had two RBIs as well. Willis led the way for the Jags, as he tallied a pair of hits and three RBIs on the day.
Spain Park enacted a measure of revenge on Friday, with the Jags beating Oak Mountain 2-1. Both teams notched runs in the first inning, but Sidor’s run-scoring double in the sixth inning proved the difference for the Jags. Linden Samaha went the distance on the mound for the Jags, allowing just one run on three hits.
SOFTBALL
Hoover
The Hoover softball team began last week on Monday with a 5-4 loss to Hewitt-Trussville. The game was moved to the Shea Brothers Softball Complex in Irondale due to wet field conditions at both schools. The Huskies got out to a 5-0 lead and hung on despite a four-run fifth inning from the Bucs. In that fifth inning, Hoover got two-run home runs from Hannah Presley and Campbell Hecklinski. Sydney Chandler also registered a pair of hits.
Hoover was unable to hang onto its slim lead on Thursday in a 5-4 loss to Tuscaloosa County. The Bucs scored three runs in the third to take a 3-2 lead but the Wildcats responded with three runs of their own in the fifth and hung on.
Hoover hosted the Buccaneer Round Robin over the weekend and won all four games it played. On Friday, the Bucs began the event with a 9-5 win over Scottsboro. They notched runs in all six innings they came to the plate and were led offensively by Harper Niblett, who had a double among her four hits, with three RBIs and two runs scored. Chandler and Abby Fortner homered in the game as well.
The Bucs started play on Saturday with a 6-5 victory over Oxford. They jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Yellow Jackets rallied over the final two innings to make it close. Jordan Moore homered and drove in three runs in the game, while Brookelyn Cannon doubled, homered and had two RBIs. Hecklinski registered three hits and an RBI as well.
Hoover kept the bats hot in a 10-2 win over Benjamin Russell in the ensuing contest. Jordyn Johnson and Tennyson Guffey each drove in a pair of runs, while Madeline Harris went the distance in the circle and surrendered just the two runs on four hits. The Bucs finished the event with an exciting 11-9 win over Southside-Gadsden. The game was scoreless through three but both offenses exploded for all of their runs over the fourth and fifth innings. Hecklinski hit a grand slam, while Moore and Cannon also hit homers.
Spain Park
The Spain Park softball team found its way to a college stadium last Tuesday evening, as the Jags defeated Gardendale 11-4 at UAB’s Mary Bowers Field. The Jags put up five runs in the second inning on the strength of a bases-clearing triple by Taylor Harrington and an ensuing triple from Maddie Majors. The Jags tacked on another run in the third on a Bailey Bowers double, but the Rockets battled back to make it 6-4 after Carlee McCondichie hit a grand slam in the fifth.
Spain Park put five more on the board in the sixth, as Bowers homered, Lindsay Parker drew a bases loaded walk, Caroline Wooley doubled home two and Lydia Coleman drove in another. Annabelle Widra pitched the complete game, with the grand slam the only blemish on her line, as she struck out 13 over seven innings.
Spain Park jumped out to an early lead and went on to win 9-2 over Chelsea on Thursday. Wooley homered and knocked in two runs in the game, while Bowers doubled and had three RBIs. Majors drove in a pair of runs as well and Widra went 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Harrington also notched three hits and scored three times. Olivia Bergert had an RBI for Chelsea.
TENNIS
The Hoover boys tennis team won the Decatur Tennis Tournament on Saturday, March 2. The Bucs tallied 63 points to win comfortable over second-place Bob Jones, which had 28 points. The boys continued their strong play last Monday with a 9-0 victory over Thompson.
Hoover’s girls tennis team placed second at the Decatur Tennis Tournament on March 2. The Lady Bucs were second with 30 points, behind Decatur’s winning score of 59. Chinonye Mbanugo was able to secure an outright win in her singles bracket. The Lady Bucs also swept Oak Mountain 9-0 last Monday.
On Wednesday, both Hoover teams notched wins over Hewitt-Trussville. The boys team won 7-2 and the girls achieved a 6-3 win.
GOLF
The Hoover girls golf team competed in its third and fourth tournaments of the season last week. The Lady Bucs finished third out of four teams in a small tournament in Prattville last Monday, while they were third out of 20 teams a few days later in Glencoe. Spain Park's girls won that tournament in Glencoe, as they were led by Marilyn Steed's round of 72.
SOCCER
Hoover
The Hoover boys soccer team opened Class 7A, Area 5 play on Tuesday with a 7-0 win over Tuscaloosa County. Jay Udeh scored two goals, while Sam Bauder logged one goal and two assists in the shutout victory.
The Bucs (6-1-2) then fell to area opponent Oak Mountain 2-0 on Friday. This week, they’ll compete in the Birmingham Metro tournament.
The Hoover girls soccer team shut out Tuscaloosa County 10-0 on Tuesday in its 7A, Area 5 opener. On Friday, it moved to 2-0 in area play with a 1-0 victory over Thompson. Kyla Shaw netted the decisive goal. Hoover (4-1-3) will host John Carroll on Tuesday and play at Oak Mountain on Friday.
Spain Park
The Spain Park boys soccer team earned a 2-1 victory in penalty kicks over 7A, Area 6 opponent Mountain Brook on Monday. Preston Hamilton scored a first-half goal for the Jags. In penalty kicks, Hamilton, Yusef Hamid, Jonavan Arguedas, William Tidwell and Daniel Olvera all found the back of the net.
Spain Park (3-2-2) dropped an area game to Vestavia Hills 2-1 on Friday. This week, the Jags will play in the Birmingham Metro tournament.
The Spain Park girls soccer team dropped its 7A, Area 6 opener 6-0 to Vestavia Hills on Tuesday. Over the weekend, the Jags competed in the Tournament of Champions in Georgia. They tied Glynn Academy 2-2 but notched victories over Rome, 6-2, and East Jackson, 5-1. Jasmine Greene scored five total goals in Spain Park’s two triumphs.
This week, the Jags (7-2-2) will host Hewitt-Trussville for an area match on Thursday and play at Briarwood on Friday.
TRACK AND FIELD
Hoover
The Hoover track and field teams competed on Saturday at the King of the Mountain Invitational, hosted by Vestavia Hills.
The Bucs earned event victories in the girls 4x400-meter relay, powered by Erin Cannon, Regan Hendricks, Jaiya Davis and Emma Langley, and the boys 300-meter hurdles. LJ Hill sealed a first-place finish in 39.83 seconds.
Spain Park
The Spain Park track and field teams competed on Thursday at the Husky Seven Way meet, hosted by Hewitt-Trussville.
Sydney Taylor won the 100- and 200-meter dashes to lead the Jags girls. She ran 12.37 in the 100 and 25.6 in the 200. Steven Pate and Josh Wallace also secured first-place finishes in their events. Pate threw 150 feet, 3.5 inches to take first in the discus, and Wallace threw 161-4 to take first in the javelin.
— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.
