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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – The Thompson Warriors may not have been able to exact revenge for their playoff defeat to the Bob Jones Patriots, but they still ended Saturday, March 8 with a victory as they rolled to a win over the Oxford Yellow Jackets.

Thompson defeated Oxford 6-1 after falling to Bob Jones 4-1 in a pair of games in the same day at Thompson High School.

In the first game of the day, the Warriors kept the game in a scoreless tie until the top of the third when an RBI ground out put the Patriots in front 1-0. With a runner already on second after the ground out, an error and four-pitch walk set up a run off a passed ball.

Bob Jones then hit a two-run single later in the at-bat to increase the lead to 4-0, a lead it would never give up. Thompson would plate a run off a bases-loaded walk in the top of the seventh following three additional free base runners.

However, the Warriors returned later in the day and started off the game on a much stronger note. A pair of one-out singles from Austin Barnett and Ma’Kale Holden led to the Patriots intentionally walking Wyatt Williams to try and turn the 6-4-3 double play.

That move backfired as Cooper Mills ripped a line drive to center for a two-run RBI single on the ensuing at-bat. Anderson Harris followed that up with an RBI single of his own to give Thompson a 3-0 lead.

The Warriors weren’t done scoring though as Gabe Romero got hit by a pitch to load up the bases. Joshua Tuttle then plated the fourth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly before Thompson got caught stealing shortly after to end the inning.

The Warriors remained in front and in control thanks to a stellar pitching performance by Williams. He went five innings and struck out nine batters in the process while working around six hits and two walks to give up just one run.

That run came in the top of the fourth when a lead-off double turned into a one-out RBI single to get the Jackets on the board. However, Williams recovered to strike out the next two batters on seven pitches and get out of the inning.

Thompson then finished off the win with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Ashton Blair started out the inning with a bunt single before Cooper Fuller drew a walk. Barnett proceeded to sacrifice himself to advance both runners to scoring position.

Oxford tried the intentional walk strategy again with one out on the board, but Williams would negate that strategy on the ensuing at-bat. The starter provided his own run support with a hard single to center, plating both Blair and Fuller and taking the 6-1 lead.

Caden Wooten and Ryder McCrory finished the job with scoreless sixth and seventh innings as the Warriors improved to 12-6 on the season with a win over the Jackets.

Harris was the lone Thompson player with a multi-hit game as he went 2-for-2 with an RBI single. Williams and Mills each finished with two RBI off their lone hits of the day.

The Warriors will return to action on Tuesday, March 11 against the Homewood Patriots at 6:30 p.m. at Thompson High School. That will precede a Thursday, March 13 home game against Gardendale at 4:30 p.m. and a Saturday, March 15 doubleheader at Helena High School as Thompson faces Cullman and Helena.