ALBERTVILLE – After a blazing-hot run through Class 7A, Area 5, the message to the Thompson Warriors was simple–stay the course.
They did just that, beating the Bob Jones Patriots 10-0 in five innings and the Austin Black Bears 6-1 on Monday, May 11 at Sand Mountain Park to win the Class 7A Northeast Regional championship.
"You worked so hard all year for that moment, and just to see them punch their ticket again, and just keep moving," Thompson co-head coach Kaleigh Furuto said. "But, again, still got a long road ahead."
It's the third-straight regional championship for the Warriors in Albertville, this time coming without a loss. It also sends them to their sixth-straight state tournament, having made each edition in the 2020s.
"We've been every year since COVID," Thompson co-head coach Kevin Todd said. "So, for a 7A program to do that, it's impressive, and you're never promised anything. So, these girls work for it, and they deserve it."
Thompson's first win of the day against Bob Jones had shades of the three run-rule wins a week ago in the area tournament in Alabaster, namely thanks to another strong start at the plate.
A walk and a bunt set up Morgan Adolphus to hit an RBI single for the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. She then stole second and third and scored on an errant catch at third base on the steal attempt to double the lead.
Two walks put a pair on for Kadyn Bush, who provided her own run support by battling through a full count for a two-run double to right. That again doubled up the lead to 4-0 after one.
Bush dispatched a lead-off double with back-to-back strikeouts to end the top of the second. From there, Krimson Calhoun's one-out single set up a first-pitch double by Kelsey Burden to left, taking the lead to 5-0.
Burden would advance to third on the ensuing line out, and on the next pitch, Whitney Holtzapfel ripped a single up to short to make it a 6-0 lead.
The Warriors' momentum hit a brief speed bump with back-to-back outs to start the bottom of the third, but an Aubrey Bauer walk and Jessie Chinoski single set up a big two-out rally.
After both runners advanced to scoring position, Calhoun sent a grounder up the middle for an RBI single. That was the first of three-straight run-scoring hits as Burden cleared the bases with a two-run double and Adolphus capped the scoring with an RBI single for the 10-0 advantage.
Bush allowed just one hit with two strikeouts in the fourth before making way for Ingle in the fifth, who struck out the side to seal the run-rule win. Bush got the win with four shutout innings and six strikeouts against just two hits and a walk.
Burden finished 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs, Calhoun was 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI and three runs and Adolphus went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run, rounding out a big game for the first three hitters in the order.
Thompson carried its momentum into Game 2 against Austin. Specifically, Burden did as she capitalized on Calhoun getting plunked to start the bottom of the first with a rapid-fire RBI triple. She would then score on an Adolphus sacrifice fly off the next pitch to take the lead to 2-0.
That lead would hold all the way through the fifth in a defensive duel for both sides. Bailey Holderfield stranded a pair of Black Bears runners in the top of the second, and doubles from Burden in the third and Holtzapfel in the fifth went without a run.
After Chinoski was controversially called out for leaving first too early in the fifth, Calhoun walked to extend the inning. An error and a stolen base put her on third, and Burden crushed a ball down the third-base line to bring her home for an insurance run.
However, the sixth inning started with a bang when Arden Breedlove took a 3-0 pitch deep for a lead-off solo home run, cutting the gap to 3-1 ahead of Holderfield's 85th pitch. That gave the Black Bears a big momentum boost even as Ingle came in to relieve as the next batter walked.
The Warriors recovered from there to force a trio of infield outs to end the inning, and the offensive response came immediately.
A hit batter brought up Bush to bunt, and she reached on an error to put two on. Pinch runner Alida Ashe scored on a miscue during the ensuing at-bat. Then, after another pinch runner in Mia Langston stole second, Aubrey Bauer drove a 1-2 pitch to right for an RBI single and the 5-1 lead.
A walk and a bunt loaded up the bases for Burden, and she capped her big day with another RBI single. She finished a home run shy of the cycle, going 4-for-4 with two singles, a double and a triple for three RBI and a run. Burden was 6-for-6 for the day with six RBI and three runs.
That put the game back in Thompson's hands, and Ingle would work a one-two-three seventh to send her team back to state.
Holderfield had six strikeouts in five innings, only giving up the one home run off three hits and four walks. Ingle pitched two hitless innings to add to her one from Game 1.
Todd credited Furuto for helping the pitchers overcome the brief shakeup and set them up for a solid day where they allowed just one run in 12 innings.
"She works her tail off and as far as scouting and works for the pitchers," Todd said of Furuto. "So, really, a lot of their success is because of her, and so I'm thankful that she does what she does."
As for Furuto herself, she is proud of her pitchers for continually rising to whatever challenges she throws their way and showing up on a daily basis with their best stuff.
"I told them in postseason, and said, 'Look, when you get your number, let's go,'" Furuto said. "And they've shown up since day one."
Now as Thompson moves on to state on May 20 and 21 at Oxford's Choccolocco Park, the goal remains the same¬–stay the course.
"Every game's different, so you have to line up and play that game," Todd said. "So far, we've been pretty lucky, and, we're coming out on top, so, we've just got to, again, show up and play Thompson softball and see what that leads us."
