Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – In one of the marquee matchups of the Alabama softball schedule so far, the Thompson Warriors used a late grand slam to defeat the Hoover Bucs 5-1 on Tuesday, March 19 at Thompson High School.

The win gets the Warriors to 1-1 in area play after losing just their second game of the season in the area opener against Vestavia Hills on Thursday, March 14.

Hoover struck first with an RBI double in the top of the first after the Bucs reached base off a leadoff single.

However, the Bucs could only muster up a 1-0 lead as they were held scoreless through the next three innings, opening up a window for Thompson to tie up the game.

On the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth, Keara Hall hit a home run to right field to tie the game at 1-1.

The Warriors continued to remain dominant on defense, allowing just one hit across the fifth and sixth innings, and they capitalized with a big sixth inning.

After the first Thompson batter of the inning was out, Hall hit a single to get her team in business. Dailynn Motes was hit by a pitch shortly after to put a pair of runners on base.

While the next batter succumbed to a fly out, Aubree Hooks drew a walk to load up the bases for Laney Williams.

On an 0-1 pitch, Williams launched a ball to left that got over the wall for a grand slam, putting the Warriors up 5-1 going into the final inning.

From there, Thompson allowed just a leadoff single from Hoover as it dispatched the following three batters to earn the four-run win.

Both Hall and Olivia Tindell finished the game 2-3 while Hall had two runs and an RBI as well.

Kadyn Bush earned the win with 4.1 shutout innings, taking three strikeouts against three hits. Hooks secured five strikeouts in her 2.2 innings in the circle.

The 21-2 Warriors will return to action on Thursday, March 21 as they face Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on the road at 4:30 p.m.