HS sports update: Donohue hits first homer, Lions win Metro Tournament
BASEBALL
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain baseball team suffered its first loss of the season on Monday, falling to Thompson, 5-3. The Eagles got a two-run double from Dylan Fraser to give the Eagles the lead in the fourth inning, but Thompson plated a pair of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to grab the win. Caleb Kennedy drove in a run and Landon Cato picked up a double in his two hits.
The Eagles lost their second game in a row on Tuesday, as they lost 8-4 to Briarwood. Oak Mountain scored a run in the sixth inning to tie the game, but the Lions scored four in the seventh to pull away. Gene Hurst led the way offensively for the Eagles with two home runs in the game.
Briarwood beat Oak Mountain for the second time in the week on Thursday, edging the Eagles 2-1. Hudson Hartsfield’s go-ahead hit in the sixth proved to be the difference. Wesley Dennis pitched well for Oak Mountain, allowing two unearned runs in six innings. Fraser collected a pair of hits.
Oak Mountain fell to Pelham, 8-7, on Friday. The Eagles took the lead in the top of the seventh with a run, but Pelham responded to win the game in the bottom half with two runs. Jackson Kimbrell went 2-for-4 with three RBIs in the contest.
Chelsea
The Chelsea baseball team split a doubleheader against Calera on Tuesday. In the first game, the Hornets prevailed, 5-4. After surrendering the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, Chelsea scored three runs in the top of the seventh to win. William Root had a double and two RBIs in the contest. Chelsea fell 6-2 in the second game. The Hornets scored two runs in the fifth, but did not collect a base hit in the game.
Chelsea scored all of its runs in the third inning in a 9-1 win over Sylacauga on Wednesday. That was more than enough for Emmitt Hudspeath, who allowed four hits, one run and one walk with eight strikeouts in six innings of work. Nolan Forehand homered in that third inning. Forehand and Root each drove in two runs.
A seven-run third inning propelled Chelsea to an 11-1 win over Pleasant Grove on Thursday. Forehand went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Will Peacock knocked in two runs. Brock Hill threw five innings, allowing just two hits and a run with six strikeouts.
On Saturday, the Hornets lost both ends of a doubleheader to Prattville. Chelsea surrendered the game-winning run on a passed ball in the eighth inning of a 5-4 loss in the first contest. Prattville used a five-run sixth inning to pull away in a 7-4 Hornets loss in the second game.
Briarwood
The Briarwood baseball team picked up a big 8-4 win over Oak Mountain on Tuesday. Carson Eddy was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs in the contest. Parker Scott also knocked in a pair of runs. The Lions scored four in the top of the seventh to break a tie game and pull away for the win.
The Lions doubled down, beating Oak Mountain, 2-1, on Thursday. Hudson Hartsfield’s go-ahead hit in the sixth was the difference. Michael Hiers allowed one run in five solid innings of relief on the mound.
Spain Park
The Spain Park baseball team fell to Hoover, 6-2, on Monday evening. Sam Dozier and Matthew Moser drove in runs to help the Jags tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. But Sonny DiChiara’s fifth-inning two-run single gave Hoover a lead it would not relinquish.
The Jags rebounded to pick up a resounding 22-0 win over Gadsden City on Wednesday. Noah Burns surrendered just one hit in four innings on the mound. Dozier drove in four runs, while Colby Mills knocked in three runs on a perfect 4-for-4 evening.
Spain Park lost a tough game to Smiths Station on Friday, falling 4-3 in nine innings. Cooper White registered three hits on the night and drove in a run, while Colton Ledbetter knocked in two.
Ledbetter doubled, homered and drove in four runs in Spain Park’s 7-5 loss to Alma Bryant on Saturday, one of two games the Jags played. In the second game, Spain Park fell in a shootout to Central-Phenix City, 15-10. Moser knocked in three runs for the Jags.
SOFTBALL
Briarwood
The Briarwood softball team fell to Pelham, 15-5, on Tuesday. The Lions fell to Thompson, 13-4, on Thursday, despite Anna Donohue’s first career home run.
Over the weekend, the Lions competed in Calera’s tournament. On Friday, Briarwood picked up a pair of wins to begin the tournament. The Lions picked up an 8-3 win over Oak Grove and a 16-0 victory over West Blocton. Briarwood finished the tournament with a split on Saturday. The Lions beat Clay-Chalkville 8-4 and lost 10-0 to Southside-Gadsden.
Chelsea
The Chelsea softball team dropped an area contest to Helena, 15-3, on Tuesday. Morgan Seay drove in a pair of runs for the Hornets in the loss.
Over the weekend, Chelsea played in the Oxford Spring Sting. The Hornets split their pair of pool games on Friday, falling 2-1 to Jasper before winning 6-5 over Pleasant Valley. In the win over Pleasant Valley, Sarah Cespedes went 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
On Saturday, Chelsea began the day with an 8-2 win over Vestavia Hills, as Brooke Burback homered and Abigail Bryars surrendered two unearned runs in a complete game effort. The Hornets' day ended with a 10-0 loss to Daphne.
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain softball team dropped a 6-1 decision to Prattville on Thursday. Torie Denkers’ home run accounted for the Eagles’ lone run.
The Eagles played in the Helena Round Robin over the weekend. On Friday, they won both games, notching a 10-7 win over a strong Helena team and blowing by Cullman, 16-5. In the Helena game, the Eagles broke a 5-5 tie with five runs in the third. Jenna Galloway and Denkers drove in two runs in the contest. Denkers had a huge game in the win over Cullman, slugging three homers (including a grand slam) and knocking in seven runs. Abi Brown knocked in four as well.
Oak Mountain dropped both games on Saturday, falling 3-1 to Springville and 5-4 to Hoover.
Spain Park
The Spain Park softball team grabbed an 11-0 win over Mountain Brook on Thursday. Annabelle Widra was nothing shy of dominant on the mound. She allowed just two hits in six innings of work, striking out 14 batters. Widra also drove in a pair of runs at the plate. Kate Campbell had three RBIs. Bailey Bowers doubled and tripled and knocked in a pair of runs. Lindsay Parker knocked in two as well.
Over the weekend, the Jags played in the Oxford Spring Sting, and picked up a pair of wins in pool play on Friday. They knocked off White Plains, 8-6, as Bowers and Maddie Majors each racked up three hits. Bowers drove in a pair of runs as well. In the 7-6 win over Moody, Spain Park built a 7-0 lead before seeing it nearly evaporate in the final inning. Parker and Savannah Rogers each drove in a pair of runs and Widra registered three hits.
Spain Park put together an impressive run on Saturday to win the Oxford Spring Sting. The Jags concluded pool play with a 3-1 loss to Brookwood, but won all three games in bracket play to win the tournament. In a 13-0 win over Susan Moore, Bowers, Rogers and Campbell each drove in three runs, while Widra threw a one-hit shutout over four innings.
The Jags avenged the Brookwood loss earlier in the day with a walk-off, 5-4, win in the semifinals. Bowers’ RBI groundout would be all the Jags needed to beat Daphne 1-0 in the final, as Widra allowed just two hits in four innings of work, while striking out eight.
SOCCER
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain boys soccer team shut out Helena, 4-0, on Monday. Jackson Murphy scored a pair of goals, with John Long and Cody Murphy adding goals. Oak Mountain’s girls fell, 4-2, to Vestavia Hills on Tuesday.
The Oak Mountain boys settled for a scoreless tie against Homewood in the Metro Tournament on Wednesday. On Friday, the Eagles came away with a 5-1 win over Thompson to advance to the Metro Tournament final. In the Metro final, Oak Mountain played Hoover to a scoreless draw, but the Bucs won the match in penalty kicks.
Chelsea
The Chelsea boys soccer team began its week with a 2-1 loss to John Carroll. The Cavaliers scored the first two goals of the match in the second half, before Michael Lando cut the deficit to a single goal late in the second half.
Lando scored the Hornets lone goal in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to Spain Park. Also on Tuesday, Chelsea’s girls picked up a 5-0 win over area opponent Pelham.
On Friday, the Chelsea girls picked up a 4-0 win over Prattville. and the Hornets boys fell to Hoover, 3-1.
Briarwood
The Briarwood boys soccer team began the Metro Tournament with a 6-0 win over McAdory on Monday night. On Wednesday, the Lions pitched another shutout, beating Leeds 4-0. The Lions picked up a 3-1 win over Pinson Valley on Thursday as part of the Metro Tournament. They won the Metro Tournament with a 4-0 win over Shades Valley on Saturday.
Spain Park
The Spain Park boys soccer team beat Thompson 2-0 on Monday. Sam Marino and Diego Aguirre scored their first varsity goals for the Jags. MJ Dimbo made five saves in goal for the shutout.
On Tuesday, the Jags knocked off Chelsea, 4-1. Brooks Rice got the Jags on the board, before Chelsea tied things early in the first half. Sam Marino, Rice and Reece Eberhardt scored the final three goals of the match to give Spain Park the win. Also on Tuesday, Spain Park’s girls grabbed a 1-0 win over Mountain Brook.
Spain Park’s boys fell to Hoover, 5-2, in the Metro Tournament on Wednesday. The Jags jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but surrendered the edge by halftime and allowed three unanswered goals in the second half.