Here’s a look back at the last week in Hoover and Spain Park high school sports.
BASKETBALL
The Hoover boys and girls basketball teams, as well as Spain Park’s boys, won in the regional finals last Tuesday. Click here for the story of those games.
The Hoover girls face Prattville at 9 a.m., while the boys will play Dothan at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday. Spain Park takes on Central-Phenix City at 1:30 p.m. All games will be played at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
BASEBALL
The Spain Park baseball team started last week on a high note Tuesday with a 9-6 win over Pelham in an offensive shootout. Clay Spencer was the standout for the Jags, as he went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles, a home run and 3 runs batted in. Jacob Tobias and JR Thompson each tallied 2 hits and an RBI. Ryan Cole, Wesley Blackmon and Jack Kendrick knocked in runs as well.
Hoover traveled to Arizona last week for the Prep Baseball Legacy Tournament. On Wednesday, the Bucs suffered a 7-6 loss to a nationally-ranked Hamilton team out of Arizona. In the game, Will Lawrence hit a home run and drove in a pair of runs. Colin Rengering and Cade Carr each finished with 2 hits and 2 RBIs as well. Mason Blasche was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 runs scored.
Spain Park dominated Robertsdale 14-1 on Thursday. Tobias led the charge for the Jags, going 2-for-3 with a triple and 3 RBIs. Spencer had a pair of hits, a double and 2 RBIs as well. Aiden Berke drove in 3 runs, hitting a double. Cole Edwards doubled and knocked one home, while Coleman Gray also had an extra base hit. Evan Smallwood, Blackmon and James Battersby each finished with 2 hits and an RBI. Thompson went 4 innings on the mound, not allowing a hit or run and striking out 5 batters.
Hoover got its first win of the trip Thursday, beating Cypress 4-3. Carr had a pair of hits, as he Blasche and Clayton Wallace each knocked in a run. Blasche allowed a pair of runs over 3 innings in relief of Tyler Wilson, who threw 4 strong innings and allowed a run on a single hit with 7 strikeouts.
Spain Park grabbed a 9-7 win over Spanish Fort on Friday. Edwards had a huge game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and 4 RBIs. Smallwood scored 3 runs, while Tobias, Spencer, Cole and Berke all knocked in a run of their own. Matthew Widra went 2-for-4 as well. Tobias threw 4 innings, surrendering a pair of unearned runs. James Battersby threw 3 hitless innings, allowing an unearned run while striking out 6 hitters.
Hoover grabbed another win Friday, beating Chaparral 3-2. Carr tripled, Andrew Pitts was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs and Will Lawrence drove in a run. Rengering had a pair of hits and earned the save with a scoreless 1 1/3 innings. Samuel Schmidt was solid over 4 innings, letting in 2 runs (1 earned) on 4 hits with 7 strikeouts. Zac McGarity earned the win, going 1 2/3 hitless frames.
Spain Park earned a doubleheader sweep Saturday, beating Orange Beach 12-6 and knocking off Bayside Academy 12-2. In the Orange Beach win, Edwards had another huge game, going 3-for-5 with a double, a pair of home runs, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored. Tobias hit a pair of doubles, driving home 2 runs and stealing a pair of bases. Widra had 2 RBIs as well. Spencer doubled, Smallwood scored 3 times and stole 2 bases, Coleman Gray drove in a run and Blackmon was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Against Bayside, Spencer had 3 hits and 3 RBIs to lead the offense. Battersby and Tobias knocked in a pair, Edwards was 2-for-2 with an RBI and 3 runs and Berke had an RBI. CJ Gross threw 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits with 8 strikeouts.
Hoover wrapped up its road trip Saturday with a 1-0 win over Corona Del Sol. Wallace drove in the lone run in the game, while Blasche hit a double as well. Will Adams went the distance for the Bucs, allowing a single hit over his 7 innings, striking out 9 batters.
SOFTBALL
The Hoover softball team started last week with a doubleheader sweep of Brooks on Monday. Both games were tight, with the Bucs winning the first one 5-4 and outlasting the Lions 9-8 in 10 innings in the second game.
In the first contest, the Bucs jumped out to an early lead an hung on. Olivia Christian went the distance in the circle, throwing all 7 innings and allowing 4 runs on 5 hits. She struck out 5 batters as well. For Brooks, Callie McCord hit a 3-run homer and Brayleigh Leone knocked in a run. Abby Herndon threw 6 innings, with only 1 of her 5 runs counted as earned.
The second game was a back-and-forth affair, as Ki Davis got the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th to walk it off. Baylee Darby tied the game in the top of the seventh with a two-run home run, with Brooks down to its last strike. Kate Dinkel hit her first homer of the season, knocking in a pair of runs. Olivia Christian had a triple and an RBI, Emily Sims had a pair of hits — including a double — and an RBI, Hannah Christian knocked in a pair of runs, and Carolyne Hecklinski racked up 3 hits. For Brooks, Herndon hit a 2-run homer and threw 9 1/3 innings. Leone and Preslie Bunch drove in runs as well.
Spain Park knocked off Tuscaloosa County 1-0 on Wednesday evening in a pitchers’ duel. Ella Reed threw the complete game shutout, allowing just 4 hits and striking out 7 batters. The only run in the game came on a bases-loaded walk by Ella Ussery. Tuscaloosa County’s Alyssa Faircloth threw 6 hitless innings, striking out 14.
Hoover outlasted Hewitt-Trussville 7-4 in 8 innings Thursday, as Bella Foran hit a 3-run home run in the 8th inning to lift the Bucs to the win. Also for Hoover, Hannah Christian had a pair of hits, including a triple, and drove in a run. Lindsey Westhoven was 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs as well. Olivia Christian was strong in the circle, throwing 6 innings and allowing a pair of runs. For Hewitt, Gracie Reeves knocked in a pair of runs and Kate Hicks threw 7 2/3 innings.
Spain Park rallied to beat Austin 4-3 on Thursday, winning the game on a walk-off wild pitch. Teagan Huey hit her first homer for the Jags, while Jaley Young and Reed combined in the circle for a strong performance. Young allowed 3 unearned runs in 4 innings of work, while Reed threw 3 hitless innings to finish things off.
Spain Park played in the Patriot Classic in Tuscaloosa over the weekend. On Friday, the Jags beat Hartselle 2-1 and shut out Hatton 3-0. In the Hartselle win, Maggie Daniel had a double and 2 runs batted in. Ussery threw 3 1/3 innings, giving up a run on 6 hits. In the win over Hatton, Katie Flannery hit a pair of home runs, while Reed threw the shutout over 5 innings, striking out 14 along the way.
Spain Park bowed out of the tournament Saturday with a 9-0 loss to Vestavia Hills.
SOCCER
The Hoover boys soccer team beat Helena 2-1 last Tuesday. On the same day, Spain Park’s boys fell to Pelham 4-1 and the girls beat Helena 10-0.
Hoover’s girls beat Northridge 3-0 on Wednesday. Reagan George, Julie Cooke and Brooke Nettles scored the goals for the Bucs. Lane Morton kept a clean sheet as well.
Hoover’s boys knocked off Pelham 3-2 on Thursday. The Bucs took a 3-0 lad in the game, off goals from Justin McDowell, Graham Houlditch and Sam Whitlock. Matthew Kincaid and Houlditch had assists as well.
Hoover’s girls also beat Pell City 5-0 on Thursday.
Spain Park’s girls suffered a 4-1 loss to Auburn on Friday.
On Saturday, Mountain Brook’s boys beat Spain Park 5-2.
TENNIS
The Hoover boys and girls tennis teams beat Tuscaloosa County by 9-0 scores last Tuesday. In the boys match, senior Anthony Hill finished with 12 aces. The wins moved both Bucs teams to 2-0 in section play.
The Hoover boys and girls also took down Thompson 9-0 on Thursday.
GOLF
The Spain Park boys golf team played at the David Miller Memorial last week. Chase Kyes won the individual title, shooting rounds of 65 and 66 to finish at 13-under par. Hoover also played in the tournament. Cameron Rockett led the Bucs on the first day with a round of 70 (-2). Houston Hart was the top scorer the second day, finishing with an even-par 72.
Want to see something else mentioned? Feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at [email protected].
