Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

TUSCALOOSA – The Thompson Warriors finished off their dominant run through area play with another dominant performance as they pulled away late for their sixth win in as many area games.

Thompson defeated the Hillcrest Patriots 7-0 on Thursday, April 18 at Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa to finish off area play undefeated.

The Warriors and Patriots engaged in a pitching duel to start the game as neither team scored in the first four innings of the game.

Thompson broke open the scoring in the top of the fifth with a two-on, one-out single from Kelsey Burden to open up a 1-0 lead.

Whitney Holtzapfel then came in as a pinch hitter and came up with a second run off a sacrifice fly.

Going into the sixth with a 2-0 lead, the Warriors got a pair of one-out singles from Jillian Kato and Hannah Hobbs, but they couldn’t capitalize and left both runners stranded.

The next inning proved to be their big chance as Thompson plated five runs in the seventh inning to put away the victory.

After a lead-off fly out, Burden and Holtzapfel got a rally going with a pair of singles to put two on with one out for Olivia Tindell. She took the lead to 5-0 in emphatic fashion with a three-run blast to left field.

Despite clearing the bases with one swing, the Warriors continued to stack offensive plays. Lexi Kelley followed up the home run with a pinch-hit double and then came home off an error during the ensuing at-bat.

Hobbs reached on a ball to center that led to an out at second, and she immediately scored on the next pitch thanks to Morgan Adolphus’ RBI double.

That finished off the 7-0 win and the perfect 6-0 area record for Thompson.

Kadyn Bush took the win in the circle with six strikeouts in six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and no walks. Kelley then finished the job by surrendering just one hit in a scoreless seventh.

Burden finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, Tindell was 2-for-4 with her three-run home run as a highlight, and Adolphus ended the day 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run.

The Warriors improved to 33-3 with the win and will play in the Hoover Classic on April 18 and 19 at the Hoover Met Complex.