NORTHPORT – In their first matchup since meeting for the 2025 Class 7A state championship, the Tuscaloosa County Wildcats very nearly gave the Thompson Warriors their first loss of the 2026 campaign. However, Thompson locked in and grinded out a marathon win on the road.
The Warriors defeated Tuscaloosa County 5-4 in 10 innings on Tuesday, March 31 at Tuscaloosa County High School, securing a victory in their Class 7A, Area 5 opener.
Thompson opened up the scoring in the top of the first with an RBI groundout following a pair of stolen bases for Krimson Calhoun, giving it a 1-0 lead.
After a scoreless second, the Warriors got a pair of one-out singles in the third ahead of a groundout to first. However, an error at first allowed Calhoun to score and double up the lead. Whitney Holtzapfel followed that up with an RBI double to center for the 3-0 advantage.
The Wildcats got back into the game in the bottom of the fourth when they followed up a walk with a two-run home run, making it a 3-2 game. Another free runner in the bottom of the fifth led to a game-tying RBI single.
Both pitchers faced the minimum in the sixth, but three singles from Blakely Davis, Josie Hamm and Calhoun in the top of the seventh loaded up the bases. Kelsey Burden gave Thompson the 4-3 lead off an RBI single, but two grounders to short followed and prevented the Warriors from scoring an insurance run.
That proved crucial when two errors in the bottom of the inning were followed by a bunt to put both runners in scoring position, and a groundout tied the game up at 4-4.
The two teams went to extras from there, and Thompson carried its offensive momentum into the eighth and ninth with two baserunners in each inning. Autumn Ingle also continued her standout relief performance by going the eighth and ninth without allowing any runners.
The Warriors then got two on with an error and a Hamm single to set up Jesie Chinoski to hit a go-ahead single. While a double play ended the inning, Ingle worked three quick groundouts to seal the win.
Ingle finished with the win in 5.1 innings of relief, working around one unearned run, two hits and a walk. That walk was the lone runner Ingle allowed across all three extra innings.
Burden was 3-for-6 with an RBI and a run, and Calhoun, Davis and Hamm each finished 3-for-5. Calhoun secured a walk and two runs and Davis added a run.
Thompson improved to 25-0-2 and will host the Wildcats in a rematch on Thursday, April 2 at 4:30 p.m.
