Thompson’s Braydon Smith belted a sixth-inning grand slam and Miles Mitchell stroked a game-ending single to power the top-ranked Warriors to an 11-1 victory over No. 4 Vestavia Hills in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader in Thursday’s Class 7A semifinal matchup in Alabaster.

“Going into that at-bat, I’d been struggling at the plate,” Smith said. “When I got to a 3-2 count, I took a breath. I saw a fastball (on the payoff pitch) and got under it.”

A lightning delay was immediately called following the end of Game 1 and the second game was eventually postponed until Friday. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m. with a deciding third game if necessary to follow.

“What we didn’t want was either we lose a game or Vestavia end their season because of all this rain and lightning in the area,” Thompson coach Frankie Perez said. “The rule is we cannot start a game or inning after 12 a.m. and at 12:30 a.m. just drop dead. We don’t feel that two teams like this deserve that. The season needs to be settled on the field.”

Landon Alton earned the complete game victory, allowing one run on three hits and striking out eight. He also hit five batters to combine with the Rebel’s pitching staff for nine total hit batters in the game.

Thompson (37-6) scored in the second inning on an RBI single from Ryan Walker and added to the lead on another RBI single by Ethan Crook.

The Warriors put up another two runs in the fifth, scoring on consecutive RBI singles from Crook and Troy University commit Percy Bland, and chased Vestavia Hills starter Aiden Black after taking a 4-0 lead.

Black was tagged with the loss, allowing four earned runs off five hits, and Barrett Harper fared no better in allowing the final seven runs off six hits in the sixth inning.

Vestavia Hills (30-10) scored its only run of the game as William Cox was brought home on a throwing error to first base.

The Warriors responded with an avalanche of runs in the sixth inning, forcing a mercy-rule inning before inclement weather entered the area.

Tucker Arrington walked to lead off the final inning and consecutive singles from Mitchell and University of Montevallo signee Zachary Wyatt loaded the bases with no outs. Benjamin Pearman was walked to bring in a run and Walker brought in the Warriors’ sixth run on a single.

Leading 6-1 with no outs and the bases still juiced, Smith crushed a 3-2 count to left field, bouncing off the outstretched glove of Vestavia Hills’ William Tonsmeire for a grand slam and 10-1 lead.

“I saw it,” Smith said. “I was going to be so mad if he was able to catch it.”

Bland squeezed a single between Crook flyout and Drake McBride groundout and Arrington was hit by a pitch to set the table for Mitchell, who strong-armed a line drive down the left field line for the walk-off single.

“That’s one of those where you just throw it away and wash it off,” Vestavia Hills coach Jamie Harris said. “No big deal. We’ve been here before many times in the playoffs and won Games 2 and 3. You got to get back up off the mat and tee it up for the second game.”

A lightning delay was implemented following the conclusion of the first game and a second delay prompted Perez and Harris to play on the side of caution and postpone Game 2 until Friday afternoon.

“No matter who wins or loses, we don’t want a shortened game to end anybody’s season,” Harris said. “Frankie (Perez) and I talked about it already.”