HS Sports Update: Sauger's walk-off sends Huskies to semifinals
BASEBALL
The Hewitt-Trussville baseball team kept its season alive last weekend, sweeping Florence to advance to the semifinals of the Class 7A playoffs.
The Huskies will host Bob Jones next weekend in the semifinals. A doubleheader is set to begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday, with an if-necessary third game set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Phil English Field.
Game 1: Hewitt-Trussville 4, Florence 1
The Hewitt-Trussville baseball team executed small ball and got a brilliant pitching performance to take the first game of the quarterfinal playoff series, a 4-1 win over Florence on Thursday afternoon.
The Huskies scored single runs in the second, third and fourth innings on a Creed Parker single and back-to-back innings of a run scoring without the ball being put in play. Keith Lanum, who had two hits in the contest, drove in a run on a misplayed groundball in the seventh. Those runs were more than enough for LSU commit Michael Fowler, who surrendered just an unearned run on seven hits in a complete game effort. He struck out seven batters on the day.
Game 2: Hewitt-Trussville 1, Florence 0 (10 innings)
One swing of the bat from Julian Sauger sent Hewitt-Trussville to the semifinals, as his 10th-inning solo home run was a walk-off winner for the Huskies.
Sauger connected and hit a line drive over the center field fence. It was the only one run of the game, after nine and a half innings of scoreless baseball. It was one of only three hits on the night for Hewitt-Trussville.
Jared Waites, Skyler Jones and Parker combined to hold Florence scoreless for all 10 innings. Waites went 7 2/3 innings before hitting a drop-dead pitch count fo 125 pitches in a single game. He allowed just six hits and struck out 12 batters on the night. Jones got two outs before reaching a threshold of 25 pitches, which he presumably did not exceed in case a third game was forced. Parker threw the final 1 2/3 innings.
SOFTBALL
Hewitt-Trussville
The Hewitt-Trussville softball team started postseason play last week, playing in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament. The Huskies began things on Tuesday with a 9-1 win over Vestavia Hills. KK Hughes went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings, with nine strikeouts. Riley Tyree was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Hannah Dorsett tallied three hits and an RBI.
In a winners’ bracket game on Wednesday, Spain Park used a three-run second inning to beat Hewitt-Trussville 3-0. Bailey Bowers, Caroline Wooley and Kate Campbell each had run-scoring hits in the second inning. Hughes pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief for the Huskies after that and was lights out, surrendering just three hits and striking out four. But Annabelle Widra went the distance for the Jags, punching out 13 and surrendering just four hits in seven innings. Alexis Anderson had three hits for Spain Park as well.
Hewitt-Trussville came back on Thursday and took care of business against Vestavia Hills, winning 10-0 and securing its spot in the regional tournament this week. Borden started the scoring for the Huskies with a two-run single in the first inning and they never looked back. Anyce Harvey finished it with a two-run homer down the left field line. Borden and Crystal Maze finished the game with three hits each. Hughes pitched exceptionally for the third consecutive day, throwing a no-hitter in her five innings.
Spain Park won the area tournament on Thursday afternoon with a 4-1 victory over Hewitt-Trussville. The Jags notched a run in the first inning on an Annabelle Widra leadoff home run and led wire to wire. Maddie Majors drove in a pair of runs for the Jags as well. Along with her homer, Widra struck out 11 in a complete game in the circle, allowing just one run on four hits.
Hewitt-Trussville will begin play in the West Central Regional Tournament at Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa on Thursday at 9 a.m.
Clay-Chalkville
The Clay-Chalkville softball team played in the Class 6A, Area 12 tournament last week, beginning with a 16-4 loss to Pinson Valley on Tuesday. Rachel Smith’s three-run home run highlighted a four-run inning for the Cougars offense.
Clay-Chalkville’s season came to an end on Thursday, as the Cougars fell to Pinson Valley 19-1. The Cougars finished 8-16 overall in Kyndall White’s maiden season as head coach.
Pinson Valley
The Pinson Valley softball team began its postseason run last week with the Class 6A, Area 12 tournament. The Indians began the tournament with a 16-4 win over Clay-Chalkville on Tuesday afternoon. Ka’Mya Hampton and Shauna Clevenger had big games, with each hitting a home run and driving in four runs. Clevenger also doubled twice. Graci Graves doubled and knocked in a pair as well.
Pinson Valley took on area host Pell City in the ensuing game and fell 3-2 on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. Clevenger and Anna Sullivan drove in the runs for the Indians, while Jordan Walker pitched all six innings.
Pinson Valley returned on Thursday and secured its berth at the regional tournament this week with a 19-1 win over Clay-Chalkville. The Indians were led offensively by Hampton, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles and five RBIs. Hope Cole had a standout game as well, racking up four hits and three RBIs while also pitching three innings of one-run ball.
The Indians narrowly missed winning the area tournament itself, falling to Pell City 13-12 in the final later on Thursday. Pinson Valley battled back from a 10-2 deficit after four innings and scored five runs in the seventh to tie the game. But the Panthers scored in the bottom of the eighth to walk off winners. Mollie Peoples was one of three Pinson players to drive in a pair of runs in the game and racked up three hits, including a double. Clevenger and Sullivan both had two RBIs and Walker hit a home run as well.
Pinson Valley will begin play in the West Central Regional Tournament at Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa on Thursday at noon.
TRACK AND FIELD
Stone Shelnutt led the Hewitt-Trussville boys track and field team to a third-place finish at the Class 7A state outdoor meet. Read more about it here.