By Bobby Mathews, Sports Editor
HOOVER — Hewitt-Trussville softball didn’t win the Hoover Classic, held here this weekend, but the Huskies still went 3-0 to go undefeated on Friday. Hewitt didn’t play on Saturday due to the high school prom held that evening.
That didn’t stop them from turning in dominant performances three times on Friday, however. The Huskies defeated Gardendale 12-5, Benjamin Russell 13-0 and DuPont Manual (Kentucky) 11-1.
Game 1: Hewitt-Trussville 12, Gardendale 5
Kate Hicks picked up the win in the circle as the Huskies used a 10-run second inning to power past Gardendale in their first matchup on Friday, April 22.
Riley Tyree tripled to open the second inning, and then scored after Ana Henson walked with bases loaded to open the floodgates for Hewitt-Trussville. Madelyne Wallace came in to run for Henson, and Rubie Simon walked to plate Ryleigh Wood, who was running for Sara Phillps.
Hannah Dorsett singled to score Emily Onofry, who was on base as one of two Huskies players hit by a pitch in the inning. Wallace scored on a fielder’s choice on Kenleigh Cahalan’s at-bat, and then Olivia Faggard singled to right to plate Dorsett. Riley Rudick singled to score Cahalan. Faggard and Rudick advanced to third and second, respectively, and then Rudick scored when Tyree singled to center. Phillips then got aboard again, pushing Tyree to third. Zaylen Tucker came in to run for Phillips, and Onofry singled to center to score Tyree. Simon then reached on an error, scoring Ryleigh Wood, who had come in for Tucker.
That made it 10-0 and the Huskies never looked back.
Hicks pitched three innings, allowing three hits and four runs with three walks. Phillips threw the final inning with one hit, one run, two walks and a strikeout.
Game 2: Hewitt-Trussville 13, Foley 0
Hewitt-Trussville had 16 hits for the game and Olivia Faggard dominated on the mound and at the plate for the Huskies. Faggard struck out six and allowed only one hit over four innings in the run-rule shortened game. She also went yard in the fourth inning, going 2-for-4 with 4 RBI.
Faggard’s homer plated Kenleigh Cahalan and Hannah Dorsett in the fourth inning to put the finishing touches on a dominant performance by the Huskies.
Game 3: Hewitt-Trussville 11, DuPont Manual (KY) 1
The Huskies broke the game open in the fourth inning, scoring seven runs beginning with walks by Riley Tyree and Olivia Stults to get on base, and Olivia Faggard and Chaney Peters singled to keep the offensive output rolling.
In a case of “all Faggard, all the time,” the Huskies’ super sophomore launched her second dinger of the tournament, again going 2-for-4 and totaling 3 RBI. Riley Rudick went 2-for-2 with a double to get the scoring started in the first inning, with 2 RBI and a walk. Hannah Dorsett went 1-for 1, walked three times and scored three times.
Sarah Hindman got the win in the circle, pitching all five innings and allowing two hits, one run, walking four and striking out four.