Photo courtesy of Missy Lemons
Vestavia Hills Baseball
The Vestavia Hills baseball team celebrates after beating Thompson on April 20, 2017 to clinch a playoff spot.
As the spring championship season has recently begun, many Vestavia Hills High School athletic programs are in the postseason and contending for a strong end to the season.
The Rebel baseball team had perhaps the most dramatic entrance to the playoffs, as they qualified as the runner-up in Class 7A, Area 5. The Rebels were tied with Thompson entering the final series, of which the two matched up against each other.
Thompson won the first game on Tuesday, April 18, meaning Vestavia Hills had to win both games that Thursday to advance to the playoffs.
Caden Lemons threw a shutout in the first game Thursday, as the Rebels won 3-0. The second game, as the Rebels rallied from a 2-1 deficit with three runs over the final two innings to win 4-2 and take both games on that day.
Vestavia will travel to Sparkman for its first round playoff series, set to begin on Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 4:30 p.m. Saturday's Game 3 (if necessary) would be played at 1 p.m.
The softball team will host the Area 5 tournament, after having the tiebreaker over Tuscaloosa County. The Rebels begin play on May 3 at 1:15 p.m. against Hoover in the two-day tournament. The top two finishers qualify for the North Central Regional.
Both boys and girls Rebel soccer teams went unbeaten through their section slate, earning a playoff berth and home date in the first round. Both teams will host Spain Park on May 2 to begin the playoffs.
The Vestavia boys tennis qualified for the state tennis tournament for the first time since winning four state titles in a row from 2011-2014 and came home with a third place finish in Montgomery on Tuesday.
The outdoor track and field teams will head to Mountain Brook for sectionals this weekend. The golf teams kick off sectional play early next week.
Correction: The article was amended to reflect that the Vestavia soccer teams host Spain Park on May 2. It previously stated that Hoover was the opponent.
