The Reset: Rebels golf advances to sub-state

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Over the course of the year, Vestavia Voice will keep you up to date on the various Vestavia Hills High School athletic teams. For previous weekly updates, click here.

BASEBALL

The Vestavia Hills baseball team’s season came to a close on Friday night, as the Rebels were swept by Bob Jones in the Class 7A quarterfinals.

Game 1: Bob Jones 7, Vestavia Hills 0

Andrew East threw a complete-game shutout, scattering six hits across his seven innings en route to a 7-0 Bob Jones win over Vestavia Hills.

Slate Alford had a two-run double in the fourth to start the scoring. Michael Strickland followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 Patriots. A Michael Riley double in the seventh made it 4-0 in favor of Bob Jones, and Colten Carver’s double one batter later made it 6-0. A rundown mishap allowed Carver to score the game’s final run.

For Vestavia Hills, Colton Lewis took the loss, allowing six earned runs on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out six batters. Ben Murphree and Grant Cacace each collected two hits in the loss. The Rebels left eight runners on base in the game.

Game 2: Bob Jones 4, Vestavia Hills 3

Cam Hill scored the walk-off run in the bottom of the seventh to give Bob Jones a 4-3 win at Vestavia Hills.

With the game tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the seventh, the first two Patriots struck out, but the next two walked. A Dylan Ray chopper to shortstop was bobbled and the throw home too late.

Vestavia Hills (27-11) scored all three of its runs in the top of the first inning. Mason Maners scored on an errant throw, and Lewis made it home on a passed ball. A Jonathan Hand double plated Cole Johnston.

Bob Jones (39-8) didn’t score until the fourth, when Ray homered to deep left. Alford’s single scored Colten Carver two batters later to cut the deficit to 3-2. Riley’s solo home run to center field in the sixth tied the game.

Maners led the Rebels with two hits and a run scored. Garrison Cherry took the loss, tossing 6 2/3 innings of six-hit, four-run ball. Three runs were earned. He struck out six.

Bob Jones will travel to Hewitt-Trussville next week for the Class 7A semifinals.

- Gary Lloyd

SOFTBALL

The Vestavia Hills softball team started postseason play last week, playing in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament. The Rebels began things on Tuesday with a 9-1 loss to Hewitt-Trussville. KK Hughes went the distance in the pitching circle, allowing just one run on five hits in seven innings, with nine strikeouts. Riley Tyree was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Hannah Dorsett tallied three hits and an RBI.

The Rebels lived to fight another day on Wednesday, as they knocked off Mountain Brook 13-0. Nikki Hammond allowed just two hits and struck out eight over five innings of work. Mary Claire Wilson, Charity Bibbs and Mary Sanders James each knocked in a pair of runs for the Rebels as well.

Vestavia Hills saw its season come to an end on Thursday in a 10-0 loss to Hewitt-Trussville. The Rebels finished the year with a 26-19 record and will graduate seniors James, Emma Shofner, Hannah Grace Roden and Mary Emma Davidson.

GOLF

The Vestavia Hills golf teams competed in the Class 7A, Section 3 tournament last week, with the boys team finishing second and advancing to the sub-state tournament this week. The boys played at Country Club of Birmingham on Monday, scoring a 304, 15 strokes behind winner Mountain Brook. Ryan Eshleman and Austin Coggin each shot 73 to lead the team. Ward Harris shot a 77, Sam Maze finished with an 81 and Thomas Cochran scored 86. Andrew Szymela (81) and Logan McKenna (79) played as individuals.

The Vestavia girls missed out on sub-state by just eight strokes, placing third with a score of 245. Sarah Kate DeCarlo scored an 81, good enough to qualify for sub-state as an invidividual. Teammates Maddie Nelson and Lily Anderson each shot an 82 to come in right behind her. Katherine Davis went for a 92, while Elle Squires carded a 104 as an individual.

The Vestavia boys will play in the sub-state tournament at RTJ Hampton Cove in Huntsville on Monday.

SOCCER

The Vestavia Hills girls soccer team advanced to the state final four in Huntsville with a thrilling 1-0 victory over rival Oak Mountain in double overtime on Saturday evening.

Neither team broke through until Caroline Causey’s left-footed shot from 30 yards away found its way into the back of the net in the second five-minute overtime period, ending the game.

“We had opportunities, but we just couldn’t finish,” Vestavia Hills head coach Brigid Meadow said. “That’s probably the toughest game we’ve played all year.”

The Rebels would have been staked to an early lead without the play of Oak Mountain goalkeeper Olivia Schou. Shortly after a 30-minute delay due to lightning in the area, Schou stopped a Causey penalty 15 minutes into the contest. A short time later, Schou rushed out on Vestavia’s Izzy Passman, who had a step on her defender, and knocked the ball out of harm’s way.

Oak Mountain had a limited number of chances on goal as well, most of them coming after the arrival of star player Nicole Payne. After winning three state championships at the state outdoor track and field meet in Gulf Shores early in the day on Saturday, Payne immediately left the meet and arrived at the soccer game during the lightning delay, which halted play at the 26:43 mark of the first half.

Vestavia Hills improved to 21-0 with the win and the Rebels will face James Clemens on Friday at 1 p.m. at John Hunt Park. Oak Mountain finished the season with a record of 18-3-1, with two of their three losses coming to the Rebels.

The Vestavia Hills boys soccer team fell to Oak Mountain last Monday in the first round of the 7A state playoffs. The Rebels finished the season 16-9-2.

TRACK AND FIELD

The Vestavia Hills boys track and field team finished second at the 7A state meet behind Ethan Strand’s three individual victories. Read about the meet here.

— What else would you like to see mentioned? For any suggestions, feel free to email sports editor Kyle Parmley at kparmley@starnespublishing.com.