HS sports update: Baseball teams eliminated, track and field teams compete at sectionals
BASEBALL
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain baseball team traveled to Bob Jones for the first round of the Class 7A playoffs over the weekend. The Eagles split a Friday doubleheader, but fell short in Game 3 on Saturday. Click here for a recap of the first two games and here for a recap of Game 3.
Briarwood
Much like the previous week, the Briarwood baseball team rallied after losing the first game in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs against Calera to win the second game. But in Game 3, a Lions comeback in the final inning came up just short. Click here for a recap of Friday’s action and here for a recap of Saturday’s game.
Chelsea
The Chelsea baseball team was swept out of the Class 6A playoffs in the second round on Friday, as Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa defeated the Hornets in both ends of a doubleheader. Click here for a recap of the series.
SOFTBALL
Briarwood
The Briarwood softball team fell to Calera, 10-6, on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Lions rebounded to notch a 12-1 win over Mountain Brook.
The Lions hosted the Lady Lion Classic over the weekend, and began the round robin event on Friday by celebrating seniors Riley Coyne, Anna Donohue and Daryl Deeter. In Briarwood’s lone game on Friday, the Lions took down Calera, 6-4.
Briarwood won all three games on Saturday to complete the sweep of the tournament. The Lions beat Etowah, 6-2, before shutting out Homewood, 9-0. They won the final game over Montevallo, 5-3, thanks to a grand slam by Lydia Coleman in the final inning.
This week, the Lions will play in the Class 5A, Area 8 tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at Moody.
Chelsea
The Chelsea softball team celebrated seniors Sarah Cespedes, Morgan Seay and Jeslyn Blankenship on Tuesday, as the Hornets defeated Vestavia Hills, 3-1. Brooke Burback went 2-for-2 with a home run and drove in all three runs for the Hornets. Cespedes allowed just four hits and a run in a complete game performance.
In Spain Park’s second annual Alzheimer’s awareness game, the Hornets fell 2-1 in walk-off fashion. Skylar Baker and Chloe Eidson racked up two hits each and Cespedes allowed two runs on seven hits in seven innings.
Chelsea competed in the Cullman Pre-State Blowout over the weekend and split a pair of pool games on Friday. The Hornets began the day with a 1-0 loss to Hoover on a game-winning hit in the fifth inning. Abigail Bryars was excellent in the circle, as she allowed just three hits while striking out eight. In the second game, Karson Rich’s two-run hit was the difference in a 2-1 win over Austin. Cespedes gave up just two hits in an unearned run to grab the win.
The Hornets played two games on Saturday before being eliminated. In the first game, Chelsea shut out Cullman 6-0. Bryars pitched another solid game, allowing just three hits and striking out five in the victory. Rich drove in two runs in the game as well. Chelsea was eliminated in a 2-1 loss to Sparkman, the top-ranked team in Class 7A. Eidson drove in the Hornets’ lone run.
This week, the Hornets will play in the Class 6A, Area 8 tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at Helena.
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain softball team grabbed a 6-5 win over Prattville on Wednesday. Cassady Greenwood and M’Kiyah Mitchell had two RBIs each in the contest.
Oak Mountain competed in the Cullman Pre-State Blowout on Friday and dropped both contests. The Eagles lost the first game, 3-2, as James Clemens scored two runs in the final inning to walk off with the win. In the game, Mitchell homered and Greenwood drove in the other run for Oak Mountain. In the second game, the Eagles fell to Mortimer Jordan, 6-2. Torie Denkers doubled and drove home both runs.
This week, the Eagles will host the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Spain Park
The Spain Park softball team played in its second annual Alzheimer’s awareness game, defeating Chelsea 2-1 on Wednesday night in a game played at Birmingham-Southern. Bailey Bowers drove in both Jags runs, including the second on a walk-off double in the eighth inning. Maddie Majors picked up three hits and scored both runs. Kate Campbell and Annabelle Widra each hurled four great innings in the circle.
Spain Park competed in the Cullman Pre-State Blowout over the weekend and opened the tournament with a pair of pool wins on Friday. The Jags knocked off Shelby County, 4-0, to start the day. Majors was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs, while Widra racked up three hits. Campbell notched a pair of hits and threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the circle. The second game was a dramatic, 4-3, win over Helena, as the Jags scored three runs in the final inning to win. Bowers’ game-winning hit capped off a four-hit game. Majors and Widra each got two hits and an RBI as well.
Saturday featured a quick exit from the tournament, as the Jags lost to Hartselle, 3-1. Bowers doubled and drove in a run in the game.
This week, the Jags will play in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament on Tuesday and Wednesday at Oak Mountain.
SOCCER
Chelsea
The Chelsea girls soccer team wrapped up the regular season with a 2-1 win over Hoover on Monday, as the Hornets finished with a 14-5-1 overall record.
The Lady Hornets held on to defeat Homewood, 4-3, in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs on Friday night. Chelsea took an early lead on a goal from Haley Duca, assisted by Kailey Littleford. The Lady Hornets notched two more goals in the first half and took a 3-0 lead into the halftime break.
Homewood cut the lead to a single goal with tallies in the sixth and 19th minute of the second half. Chelsea stretched the lead to 4-2 on Haley Duca’s second goal of the night, assisted by sister Lexie Duca. Homewood got the goal back, but Chelsea held on for the win. (Jonathan Hammett contributed to this game report.)
The girls will play at Opelika in the second round of the playoffs, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The boys season came to a close on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to John Carroll in the first round of the state playoffs.
Oak Mountain
The Oak Mountain boys soccer team shut out Cullman, 4-0, on Tuesday night. Luke Jasinski, Patrick Guffey, Jackson Murphy and Ben Goode scored for the Eagles. The girls also played on Tuesday, notching a 3-0 victory over Briarwood.
Both teams wrapped up the regular season on Thursday. The girls posted a 1-0 win and the boys grabbed a 3-0 victory over visiting Hewitt-Trussville.
The Eagles will begin the Class 7A playoffs on Monday, with both teams making the trip to crosstown rival Vestavia Hills. The girls play at 5 p.m., with the boys to follow at 7 p.m.
Briarwood
The Briarwood girls soccer team fell to Oak Mountain, 3-0, on Tuesday, to wrap up the regular season.
Both Briarwood teams began their runs in the Class 4A-5A playoffs on Friday. The boys took care of Holt, winning 10-0 and improving to 20-2-1 on the season. Logan Frost scored five goals and Griffin Felton assisted on four goals and scored once.
The girls team took home a 10-0 win over Sipsey Valley as well, a win that coach Ryan Leib said gives the Lady Lions “good confidence and hopefully we’re getting hot at the right time to make a run in the playoffs.” Briarwood celebrated seniors Alex Broughton, Peyton Feemster, Caroline Duffee and Brantley Anderson. Broughton, Feemster and Duffee all scored, while Anderson contributed her usual solid defensive play. Ellie Sherrod and Carrie Kwarcinski also notched goals.
In the second round, the boys will face Trinity Presbyterian and the girls will face Alabama Christian on Tuesday. Both teams will be on the road.
Spain Park
The Spain Park boys soccer team honored its seniors on Monday night, as the Jags fell to Prattville, 2-0. The girls wrapped up their regular season with a 2-1 win over Mountain Brook on Tuesday to secure the area championship.
Spain Park’s girls will begin the playoffs by hosting Thompson at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
TRACK AND FIELD
Local high school teams competed at the outdoor track and field section meets over the weekend. Individuals that finished in the top five in each event qualified for the state meet, which will be held this upcoming weekend in Gulf Shores.
Click the following links to access results from Briarwood, Chelsea, Oak Mountain and Spain Park’s performances at sectionals:
- Chelsea