Spain Park wins Jag Classic, improves to 16-0
Published 11:19 am Monday, March 9, 2020
The Spain Park Jaguars finished the Jaguar Classic undefeated to claim the championship and improve to 16-0 on the season. (Reporter photos/Keith McCoy)
Calera and Helena will soon host a major softball tournament showcase for travel ball teams between July 31 and Aug. 2. (File)
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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor
HOOVER – Following six consecutive wins in their own tournament, the Spain Park Jaguars didn’t just claim the 2020 Jaguar Classic, but picked up their 16th consecutive win to start the season.
The Jags, who are now 16-0 overall, have been dominant so far and that dominance continued in their own tournament.
Spain Park played well throughout the tournament, beating its first five opponents by at least five runs, but as impressive as that was and this season has been, the Jaguars’ biggest win of the season to this point possibly came in the championship of the tournament against defending Class 7A state champion Hewitt-Trussville.
In their first five games, the Jags beat Alma Bryant 9-2, Calera 12-0, Hueytown 7-2, Tuscaloosa County 8-1 and Sumiton Christian 17-1 to earn a spot in the title game against the Huskies.
After a scoreless first inning of the championship game, Spain Park put together a big second inning.
Hewitt-Trussville put two runners on in the top of the second, but ultimately ended the half inning with no damage, which led to the bottom of the second.
Spain Park quickly made the Huskies pay on the first at bat. In a battle that saw Lindsay Parker fall behind in the count 0-2, she fouled off two and watched two balls before then coming back with a blast over the center field wall for a lead-off home run.
That quickly put Spain Park up 1-0, and it didn’t take long for the Jags to add to that lead. Following an out and a single from Chloe Brittain, Maggie Daniel stepped to the plate and blasted a second home run of the inning over the center field wall, this time a two-run shot, to put Spain Park up 3-0.
One batter later, Katie Flannery doubled to left field on the second pitch she saw to quickly put another runner in scoring position.
That was followed by a single from Annabelle Widra, which drove home Flannery for a 4-0 lead. Following an out, Lydia Coleman tripled to left field on the first pitch she saw to drive in Widra for the fifth and final run of the inning.
Trailing 5-0, Hewitt-Trussville tried to start chipping away at the Spain Park lead in the top of the third with one run, but the Huskies left two runners in scoring position and still trailed 5-1 at the end of three.
But down to their last chance in the top of the fourth, the Huskies put together one more attempt at a comeback.
After a single and an error put two aboard with one out early in the inning, a sacrifice fly drove home a run to make it 5-2, but there were two outs on the board.
That, however, was followed by a single and a walk to load the bases and put the go-ahead run at the plate. Following a second walk in a row, one run was able to come home and make it 5-3 with the bases still loaded.
But the threat ended when Hewitt’s next batter flew out to Mackenzie Thompson in right field to complete the 5-3 win as time ran out on the Huskies.
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