Huskies win Gulf Coast Classic for 5th straight time

GULF SHORES -- The Hewitt-Trussville High School softball team continued what has become a spring break tradition this week.

The Huskies won the Gulf Coast Classic tournament in Gulf Shores for the fifth consecutive time, putting together a strong performance Wednesday to claim the trophy yet again. 

It was a 12-hour day for the Huskies, the defending Class 7A state champions and one of the top teams in the state once again. Hewitt beat Southside-Gadsden in the morning and followed that up with wins over Vestavia Hills, Hoover, Hartselle and Thompson to win the title. 

“It was a long day, but it was fun,” Hewitt head coach Taylor Burt said.

The tournament field was north of 60 teams, with only the top 25 qualifying for bracket play Wednesday. Each team played three pool games Monday, with Tuesday being canceled due to rain. On Monday, the Huskies went 2-1, falling to a good Spanish Fort team. But that record was enough to earn the No. 20 seed and get into the bracket.

Against Southside, the Huskies took the lead for good in the third inning with a pair of runs. Corey Goguts delivered the decisive blow in a big fourth inning, hitting the first of three home runs on the day. Olivia Faggard drove in a pair of runs, and Sara Phillips pitched the final 2 2/3 innings to earn the win.

Vestavia Hills claimed a 1-0 lead in the third, but Hewitt-Trussville rallied immediately to a put a four-spot on the board in the bottom half. AhKeela Honeycutt and Chaney Peters registered back-to-back two-run hits to make it 4-1. Zaylen Tucker started in the circle and threw the first three innings, before Phillips came in and slammed the door in the final two frames.

The Huskies shut Hoover out 2-0 in the quarterfinals. Makaila Hope had the lone run batted in. Kate Hicks got the win, tossing five no-hit innings before Phillips came on in the sixth to earn the save.

In the 10-5 win over Hartselle in the semis, the Huskies offense exploded for eight runs in the first inning. Goguts homered twice in the inning to lead the charge. Hicks earned the win after throwing the final 2 2/3 innings without allowing a hit.

“Kate started off today a little rough and came in and shut Hoover down and was tough today,” Burt said. “The same for Zay, she threw great against Vestavia.”

In the championship game, Hewitt-Trussville knocked off top-ranked Thompson 7-0. Lexie Kelly and Phillips homered for the Huskies in the contest, while Phillips threw five shutout frames to earn her third win of the day.

“Today was huge for her,” Burt said of Phillips.

The tournament victory was a total team effort, with Burt pointing out the contributions of Peyton Hull, who got a few starts on the day and came up with three big RBIs from the bottom of the lineup.

The Huskies return to action next Thursday, as they host Springville, the top-ranked team in 5A.