By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Hewitt-Trussville Huskies ended Hoover’s baseball season here on Friday, April 29, sweeping the Bucs over the course of two straight games and sliding into the second round of the AHSAA playoffs.
Hewitt-Trussville took a doubleheader sweep over Hoover on Friday, April 29, 2022, to advance to the second round of the 7A baseball playoffs. (Photo by Bobby Mathews)
The Huskies won 8-6 and 6-3. Here’s how it went down:
Game 1: Hewitt-Trussville 8, Hoover 6
Hoover broke the game open with six runs in the top of the fourth, taking a five-run lead. Catcher Matt Miller got the Huskies out of trouble when he threw to Ethan Duhon to catch Hoover’s Steele Lowery stealing third base.
Down five, the Huskies stormed back, with Brooks McRae reaching on an infield single, while Carson Wideman walked and then Brett Moseley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jack Ollis walked to advance McRae across the plate, and the rally was on. Hoover’s pitcher then hit Duhon to push another run in for the Huskies as Wideman scored. Kurt Kizer stepped up and singled to score Moseley and keep the bases full. Miller then hit into a double play, but it was enough to score Ollis and make it 6-5, Hoover.
Riley Quick then struck out the first two batters he faced, allowing a single from Cade Carr before striking out the next batter. The batter attempted to reach first on a dropped third strike but was thrown out. Quick recorded 10 strikeouts on an afternoon when he didn’t have his best stuff.
Hoover’s pitching proved to be its downfall. In the bottom of the fifth, Baker Green walked and McRae doubled. Moseley was hit by a pitch — the third Husky plunked in two innings — and Ollis walked to load the bases. Wideman, who has come up big for the Huskies all season, grounded out but managed to tie the game at six with an RBI when Green scored from third.
Duhon singled on his next at-bat, a ground ball to right field which scored McRae and put the Huskies up 7-6.
Hewitt-Trussville added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Jackson Cole scored on a wild pitch.
Green came on in relief in the top of the seventh, allowing one hit and no runs.
Game 2: Hewitt-Trussville 6, Hoover 3
The second game was less dramatic than the opener as Hewitt-Trussville plated five runs in the first three innings and cruised, adding an insurance run in the top of the seventh to win 6-3.
The Huskies used a four-run third inning to jump on the Bucs, but unlike Hewitt-Trussville in the first game of the doubleheader, Hoover couldn’t answer.
Brooks McRae got the Huskies on the board with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, and contributed again in the third when he reached on an error. Kurt Kizer, Riley Quick and Baker Green all singled in the third.
Jacob Francis got the win on the mound for the Huskies.
