North Alabama spring roundup: Hartselle boys get 5th soccer shutout
The 10th-ranked Hartselle boys soccer team recorded its fifth shutout of the season in a 10-0 rout at East Limestone on Thursday to improve to 9-2-2 on the year.
Nick Vaughn was in goal for the Tigers, as he has been for all five of the shutouts this year. Vaughn also scored a goal when he moved to striker after Hartselle got the game in hand on Thursday.
Senior Slate Gargus scored four goals in the first 15 minutes of the match and junior Owen Bennich added a pair of goals – his team-best 16th and 17th on the season – for Hartselle.
The Tigers also got goals from Luke Vinson, Hunter Lawrence and Owen Newton. Bennich had three assists, Alex Hatfield had two and Andre O’Leary had one.
On Monday, Bennich scored a pair of goals as Hartselle beat Athens 3-0 at home.
Jack Adams also scored for the Tigers. Vaughn got his fourth shutout of the season.
In other North Alabama spring sports action from the past week:
BOYS
SOCCER
Florence 5, Cullman 1: Mario Tepec and Colton Swift scored a pair of goals apiece in the home victory over Cullman on Thursday for Class 7A No. 10 Florence.
Melvin Rojas scored Florence’s other goal.
On Monday, the Falcons slipped past Tharptown 1-0 in Russellville. Brady Allen scored the lone goal in the match.
BASEBALL
West Limestone 13, Lauderdale County 3: The Wildcats won their 10th straight game to improve to 14-3 on the year. Landon Navas went 4-for-4 to lead West Limestone at the plate in the Thursday win.
Aidan Smith went 3-for-3 with a double and Cooper Phillips was 2-for-4 with a double for the winners. Dawson Downs was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Wildcats.
Andrew Abernathy threw a complete game, allowing one earned run over five innings.
On Tuesday, West Limestone whipped Wilson 14-4 with Colin Patterson striking out nine over four innings.
Colin Patterson went 3-for-4 for the Wildcats. Keegan Laxson was 2-for-3 with a double and Downs ripped a triple in three at-bats.
On Monday, the Wildcats beat Athens Bible 14-2. Ian Burroughs smacked a grand slam home run, Laxson was 2-for-4 with a double and Weston Owens was perfect in three at-bats.
Owen Lauderdale earned the win, striking out three in three innings.
Huntsville 6, Westminster Christian 3: The Panthers improved to 11-4 on the year and finished the Gulf Coast Classic 3-1 with the win over Westminster Christian on Wednesday.
Huntsville’s Sims Bowman allowed one earned run over 4.1 innings, giving up three hits, striking out three and walking two. Huck Hensley finished the game, giving up one run on two hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Chase Cartron went 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs for the Panthers. Tyce Moody was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Steven Cavaco doubled in three at-bats.
Huntsville will host Class 4A No. 3 Priceville on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Hartselle 13, Jasper 1: Two pitchers combined to toss a no-hitter for the top-ranked Class 6A Tigers in the win over Jasper on Wednesday. Peyton Steele worked four innings, allowing one unearned run with five strikeouts and one walk. Andrew Coleman struck out two Vikings in his two-thirds of an inning pitched.
Cole Mizell and Jo Jo Williamson homered for Hartselle while Landon Blackwood and Cam Palahach both doubled. Palahach was 3-for-3 with four RBIs while Mizell was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and four RBIs. Mizell also had four RBIs and Williamson had two.
Jon Brayden Landrum was saddled with the loss for Jasper. Landrum surrendered 10 earned runs on six hits, striking out two and walking five.
On Monday, Hartselle swept Hazel Green in a double-header, 3-0 and 10-0. In Game 1, Jack Smith struck out 13, allowing two hits over six innings for the winners.
Eli Tidwell had three hits with an RBI and Williamson had two hits for the Tigers. Cade Miles drove in a pair of Hartselle runs.
Michael Hamilton and Jackson Hunter got the hits for Hazel Green.
In Game 2, Hartselle broke open a scoreless game with five runs in the third inning, four in the fourth and one in the fifth to end the game.
Greyson Howard led the winners with three hits with Palahach and Mizell added two apiece. Brody Leathers recorded three RBIs in the win and Palahach and Lawson Williams added two each.
Nic Chumley pitched five innings for Hartselle with two strikeouts.
Danville 8, Clements 6: Catcher Gage Taylor went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in the win over Clements on Thursday. Taylor also threw out two Clements baserunners.
Sawyer Tapscott and Kason Jefferies had a pair of hits and an RBI apiece for Danville.
Sophomore Reece Cowart earned the win for the Hawks, striking out six in five innings. Ben Capps picked up a save with two innings work, allowing no runs with a pair of strikeouts.
Austin Craig had a pair of hits and two RBIs for Clements. Evan Whitworth had three hits, with a double and an RBI.
On Saturday, the Hawks beat Good Hope 1-0 with Taylor driving in AJ Holiday in the top of the sixth inning. Taylor was 1-for-2 at the plate. Jackson Randolph had two hits for the winners.
Cowart pitched a three-hit shutout for the Hawks. Cowart struck out five. Carter Naramore gave up one run on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk in relief.
TENNIS
Florence 9, Kossuth (Miss.) 0: The undefeated Falcons swept the visitors from Corinth, Miss., on Thursday, improving to 11-0. Florence is 2-0 in section play.
Winners for Florence were Tai Do, Jack White, Jake Champion, Cohen Joiner, Cade Black and Slade Campbell.
On Tuesday, Florence downed Muscle Shoals 8-1 at home.
In singles play, Florence won at No. 1 with White beating Jackson Collins 10-2, at No. 2 with Champion topping Max Davis 10-4, at No. 3 with Joiner beating Cole Watkins, at No. 4 with Black beating Chase Miller 10-7 and Slade Campbell beating Will Lee 10-2.
Christian Daniel of Muscle Shoals topped Colin Kitts 10-4 at No. 6 singles.
In doubles, White/Tai Do defeated Collins/Lee 10-2 at No. 1. Joiner/Black beat Davis/Watkins 10-2 at No. 2 and Champion/Campbell won at No. 3, 10-4 over Daniel/Bauer Underwood.
GIRLS
SOCCER
West Morgan 3, Mars Hill 2: The Rebels tied the game in the second half when a corner by Brandy Hernandez bounced off a Mars Hill player and into the net for an own goal. Less than two minutes later, Hernandez scored the game-winning goal.
Madison Parker scored West Morgan’s other goal and Hernandez had an assist.
Diana Romero registered eight saves for the Rebels, who improved to 6-4 overall and 5-0 in Class 4A Area 7.
On Tuesday, West Morgan downed Haleyville 10-0 in a road match. Parker scored four goals to lead the Rebels, who led 7-0 at the half.
Hernandez scored a pair of goals and had three assists for West Morgan. The Rebels also got goals from Alexandra Rodriguez, who had two assists, Stacy Blanco, Xiomara Solis and Brooklynn Lambert.
Romero had three saves in the win.
West Morgan will play Brewer on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Decatur’s Jack Allen Soccer Complex in the Morgan County Tournament.
Priceville 6, West Morgan 1: The Bulldogs rolled past West Morgan on Monday, outscoring the Rebels 4-1 in the second half. AK Hopkins had a hat trick in the win.
Brandy Hernandez scored the Rebels’ goal.
SOFTBALL
West Limestone 9, East Limestone 6: The Class 4A Wildcats ran their record to 9-2 on the year.
JuliAnn Kyle leads West Limestone this season with a .433 average with four doubles and six RBIs. Lilly Bethune is hitting .419 with two home runs, a triple, two doubles and 18 RBIs.
Kyle also has a 6-1 record in the circle with 33 strikeouts and a 1.846 earned run average over 30.1 innings. KatieLyn Kyle is 3-1 with 48 strikeouts over 28.2 innings. Her ERA is 3.174.
TENNIS
Muscle Shoals 8, Florence 1: The Trojans rolled over Florence on Tuesday, winning all the matches except at No. 5 singles.
Muscle Shoals’ Annabelle Ford defeated Amy DeGroote at No. 1 singles, 10-0. At No. 2, Carmen Williams topped Ella Coussons 10-2. Kenley Kirk beat Luci Vacik 10-3 at No. 3 and Cayla Smith beat Rylan Hayes 10-3 at No. 4. At No. 6, Delaney Arnold beat Libby Brake 10-2.
Florence’s EK Davis beat Madelyn Bendall 10-8 at the No. 5 spot.
Muscle Shoals swept the doubles matches with Kirk/Bendall topping Coussons/Sarah Liles 10-1, Ford/Williams beat DeGroote/Davis 10-2 and Smith/Arnold beat Vacik/Hayes 10-4.
Florence 9, Kossuth (Miss.) 0: The Falcons completed a three-match home stand with the sweep of Kossuth on Thursday.
Florence started with a perfect doubles’ performance with Sara Liles and Ella Coussons winning 10-3 at No. 1, Luci Vacik and Rylan Hayes winning 10-1 at No. 2 and EK Davis and Libby Brake winning the No. 3 match 10-0.
Team captain Liles trailed 6-0 at No. 1 singles before rallying to earn a 10-7 victory. Coussons won 10-3 at No. 2, Vacik won No. 3 10-2, Hayes took the No. 4 singles match 10-1, Davis won No. 5 10-0 and Brake won 10-1 at No. 6.
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