By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE — Hannah Dorsett broke to her left and dived for the ball, cradling it in her glove and then throwing from her knees to Olivia Stults at first base, robbing Vestavia of an almost certain hit and finally — finally — stopping the bleeding during a three-run sixth-inning rally by the visitors to help preserve a 6-4 victory for Hewitt-Trussville here on Tuesday, April 12.
Rubie Simon takes a pitch during Hewitt-Trussville’s 6-4 victory vs. Vestavia on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. (Photo by Bobby Mathews)
Dorsett’s play was all the more spectacular due to the fact that she didn’t break early on the ball.
“I just saw it in the hole, and I practice those plays for when I can’t get to my feet,” Dorsett said afterward. “Sarah (Hindman, who had come on in relief of Kate Hicks) needed that out, and it’s a team game. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
Hicks got the win for Hewitt-Trussville, pitching a strong 5 2/3 innings until Vestavia began to catch up to her in the top of the sixth. She allowed six hits and four runs — three of them earned — with three strikeouts and two walks.
For Vestavia, that sixth inning flurry was a last gasp as they plated a trio of runs, including one on an error that saw miscommunication between catcher Riley Tyree and Sara Phillips at first base. That ended up with the ball in right field, where Riley Rudick had to chase it down.
After the third out in the sixth, Hewitt-Trussville head coach Taylor Burt gathered her team outside the dugout, imploring them to finish the game strong.
“We get a little complacent when we get up on the scoreboard, and we’ve got to have a little more of a killer instinct,” Burt said after the win. “Especially going into the latter half of April, we’ve got to be able to put our foot on the throat, step on it and finish the game … not coast to the end of the game.”
Dorsett’s play to end the sixth was indicative of her style of play and her importance to the team, Burt said.
“She kept them from tying the ball game is because of her hustle and her effort,” Burt said. “That’s how Hannah plays, and that’s what Hannah does. She leads in that way. You literally could not ask for a better kid than that.
The Huskies manufactured a couple of runs in the second after going down 1-o in the top of the inning. Tyree tripled to right field, and Zaylen Tucker came in to run for her and scored on a wild pitch during Rubie Simon’s at-bat. Kenleigh Cahalan then singled to score Emily Onofry, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice.
In the third inning, Rudick contributed a solo homer to make it 3-1, Huskies.
Dorsett reached on an error in the fourth inning and stole second. From there, Cahalan doubled to score Dorsett. Olivia Faggard then doubled on a line drive to left field and scored Cahalan. At the end of the fourth, it was 5-1, Hewitt-Trussville.
Tyree earned a walk on her at-bat in the fifth inning — only her second of the season — and Tucker again came on as a courtesy runner. Tucker stole second and advanced to third on a ground-out by Chaney Peters. Ana Henson then singled to right field to score Tucker to make it 6-1.
Vestavia then set about its rally attempt that fell short. In the bottom of the seventh, Hindman forced the Rebels into a pair of ground-outs and a fly ball to short center field to end the game.
