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Photo by Kyle Parmley
East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Zaylen Tucker (14) pitches during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Peyton Hull (38) gets the sign during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Makaila Hope (99) catches during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Ava Hyde (20) and Evie Andrews (16) during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Evie Andrews (16) and Felecia Gulledge during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Presley Hull (22) catches a fly ball during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's head coach Taylor Burt during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville players during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Corey Goguts (25) hits the ball during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Emily Glover celebrates during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Evie Andrews (16) and Felecia Gulledge during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Zaylen Tucker (14) pitches during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Ryleigh Wood (2) readies during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Erin Coleman (23) throws to first base during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
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Photo by Kyle Parmley
East Regional Softball
Hewitt-Trussville's Peyton Hull (38) readies during an East Regional game on Tuesday, May 7, 2025, at Sand Mountain Park in Albertville. Photo by Kyle Parmley.
The Hewitt-Trussville High School softball team did not go quietly into the night at the Class 7A East Regional earlier this week.
The Huskies were unable to advance past the regional and into the state tournament, but they played a few intense games, including a 13-inning marathon.
Hewitt began the regional tournament by knocking off top-ranked Thompson 8-7. The Huskies jumped on the board with three runs in the first inning, but Thompson rallied multiple times throughout the game and never allowed Hewitt to get comfortable. The Huskies scored single runs in the third and fourth, before putting three more on the board in the sixth to go up 8-3.
But Thompson continued to push and cut the deficit to 8-7, before Hewitt shut things down in the seventh inning. Peyton Hull had a key run-scoring triple in the game, while Ava Hyde had a double among her two hits. Makaila Hope drove in two runs and Evie Andrews knocked one in as well.
Zaylen Tucker got the start in the circle and threw five innings, allowing three runs on four hits. Rachel Reed threw the last two frames to help the Huskies hang on and win.
The second game of the day was a classic, as the Huskies fell to Tuscaloosa County 5-2 in 13 innings. The win clinched County's berth in the state tournament, despite Hewitt's best efforts.
Hewitt led 1-0 until the top of the seventh, when County finally scratched across a couple of runs to take the 2-1 lead. Without two out and nobody on, Tucker ripped a triple to right field and Corey Goguts followed that up with a game-tying double.
Neither team scored again until the 13th, when three straight run-scoring hits from the Wildcats allowed them to take the lead for good. Tucker gave the Huskies everything her left arm had, going 11 innings and surrendering just the two runs on six hits. Tuscaloosa County's Karlie Beth Beasley was able to go the distance, throwing all 13 innings and earning the win.
Hewitt-Trussville rallied the following day, needing to defeat Thompson again to continue its season. The Huskies plated runs in each of the first three innings, taking a 4-1 lead. But a six-run fourth inning allowed Thompson to overtake the Huskies and grab a lead the Warriors would not relinquish.
In the game, Goguts mashed her 31st home run of the season, tied for the top mark in Alabama this year. Peyton and Presley Hull each finished with two hits, as did Erin Coleman. From the leadoff spot, Tucker had two hits and an RBI.
The loss sent Thompson to the state tournament next week and put Hewitt's final record at 30-18-1 for the season.
"This is one of my favorite teams I've ever coached and as much as I am proud of how they competed and gave it everything they had on the field, I am even more proud to be the coach of good humans," Hewitt-Trussville head coach Taylor Burt said. "They are a group that will succeed in whatever they put their minds to, and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to coach them."
The senior class of Tucker, Andrews, Hyde, Peyton Hull, Makaila Hope, Kinley Poe, Ryleigh Wood, Darcy Hill and Sydney Moore put the finishing touches on stellar careers in 2025.
"We may not have finished like we wanted, but I am so proud of the fight and grit they showed the last couple of weeks," Burt said. "It was a season of learning and growing and I'm thankful to our group of seniors that have worked tirelessly and given everything to this program."
