Thompson High softball team narrowly misses trip to state tournament
The Thompson High softball team battled to the final pitch of the season but ultimately came up short in a quest to advance to the AHSAA Class 7A State Tournament.
The Warriors opened up play in the Class 7A North Central Regional at Mary Bowers Park in Tuscaloosa with a victory over Spain Park. Thompson narrowly missed a chance to clinch a spot in the state tournament with an extra inning loss to Oak Mountain. The Warriors then saw their season end with a close loss to Spain Park.
Thompson ends the season with a record of 43-11-1.
Game 1
Thompson 6, Spain Park 2
The Warriors scored five runs in the last two innings and received a strong pitching performance by Bailey Whitfield in the victory. Whitfield allowed seven hits and two runs in the complete game victory.
Thompson trailed, 2-1, heading into the sixth inning. The Warriors erased the deficit with three sixth-inning runs. Kennedy Foote’s double, Mikayla Touhey’s bunt single and Lauren Cabiness’ infield single all driving in runs.
The Warriors added two more insurance runs in the seventh inning on a RBI single by Kennedy Foote and a RBI double by Allie Miller.
Thompson had 11 hits in the game with Touhey, Foote, Miller and Lauren Haskins each contributing two hits.
Game 2
Oak Mountain 7, Thompson 6 (8 innings)
This time, the Warriors let one slip away. The Warriors held a 6-3 lead going into the sixth inning but couldn’t hold onto the lead. Instead, the Eagles found a way to win and clinch a spot in the state tournament.
Three of Thompson’s runs came in the third inning as the Warriors took a 4-2 lead. Kennedy Foote’s two-run single highlighted the inning. Oak Mountain tied the game with three runs in the sixth inning and scored the game winner in the eighth inning. Thompson committed two errors in the sixth inning and two more in the eighth inning.
Foote was 4-for-4 with three RBI. Kindall DeRamus and Lauren Haskins each had two hits for the Warriors, who finished with 11 hits.
Game 3
Spain Park 8, Thompson 6
Thompson pushed four runs across in the third inning to take early control of the win-and-you-advance rematch with Spain Park. But the Warriors couldn’t hold onto the lead and came up short despite a seventh inning surge.
The Warriors hit for the cycle as a team in the third inning with Kennedy Foote’s home run, Allie Miller’s triple, Lauren Haskins’ double and Kindall DeRamus’ single. Put that together and the Warriors jumped to a 4-0 lead.
Spain Park scored once in the third inning and Alexis Anderson’s three-run home run with two outs in the fifth inning tied the score at 4. The Jaguars scored three more in the sixth inning and another run in the seventh inning to take a 8-4 lead.
Thompson didn’t go away quietly. Haskins opened with a double and Miller followed with a bloop single that left Haskins at second base. Both runners moved up on Madison Bubel’s fly ball. Thompson loaded the bases when Foote was walked on four pitches. The Warriors cut the deficit in half on a two-run single by Mikayla Touhey with Foote advancing to third.
However, the rally ended with a pop out and groundout.
DeRamus led the way with three hits while Miller, Haskins, Foote and Touhey had two hits each. In three games, Foote was 8-for-9 with six RBI, three walks, two doubles and a home run.
