Pelham High School baseball coach Jeff Mauldin used an appropriate phrase to describe senior Trae Santos’ performance against Hoover in a Class 6A, Area 10 game April 2.

Santos played “lights-out” according to Mauldin, which helped the Panthers keep the Bucs off the scoreboard in a 10-0 five-inning shut out.

Santos (7-0) started on the mound and pitched five innings without allowing a run on two hits with seven strikeouts and one walk.

Santos had plenty of support at the plate.

The Panthers (27-2, 6-0 in Class 6A, Area 10) got on the board first and were challenged until the fourth inning, when they exploded with nine runs. The game was then called after the fifth due to Pelham’s 10-0 lead.

Michael Bishop slammed a home run and finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs. Hunter Ragsdale was 1-for-2, drove in two runs and scored twice. Trae Santos, Andrew Bishop, Tripp Martin, Jake Williams, and Reed Bright also scored a run.

“We played one of our better games of the year,” Mauldin said. “We played great defense and swung the bat the best I’ve seen us swing all year. Our players and coaches respect the teams we play and Hoover is a good team, they just didn’t play their best and we played close to our best.”

The Panthers captured the Class 6A, Area 10 title with the win over Hoover outright after missing the Class 6A playoffs a year ago. Recently the Panthers moved up to No. 19 in the Easton Sports National High School Poll.

Thompson 16, Oak Mountain 3

Jonathan Keller picked up the win after giving up only two earned runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in five innings.

Andrew Smith finished 4-for-4 with a triple, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. Matt Haskins went 3-for-3 with a triple, a double, four RBIs and a run scored.

Taylor Bria also went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs and three runs scored.

Gus Williford, Ian Murray and Chad Collum had two hits each.

Davis Dudchock had a home run for the Eagles. Cary Baxter added a double and Drew Rosenberg finished 2-for-3.

The Eagles fell to 12-15 overall and 3-3 in Class 6A, Area 10. Both Oak Mountain and Spain Park head into the final week of Area 10 play with an identical 3-3 record.

Oak Mountain will face Pelham in a series, while the Jags will take on Hoover in a series as both teams seek to secure the runner-up spot and playoff berth in Class 6A, Area 10.

The Warriors finished Class 6A, Area 10 play with a 2-6 area record.