Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

ALABASTER – The Spain Park Jaguars got off to a strong start to the season thanks to a 3-1 weekend at the Vestavia Hills Red and Blue Classic.

Spain Park defeated the Hamilton Aggies 3-1, the Austin Black Bears 11-2 and the Enterprise Wildcats 5-3 during the tournament from Feb. 14-15 at Wald Park in Vestavia Hills.

An 8-5 loss to Gulf Shores was the lone blemish on the Jags’ weekend.

In the season-opening game against Hamilton, the Aggies took the early lead after playing small ball following a lead-off double as they took a 1-0 lead off a sacrifice fly.

Spain Park couldn’t respond until the top of the fourth but got a golden opportunity off a walk and an error to start the inning. Abby King hit a bunt single that brought Klara Thompson home to tie the game at 1-1.

Two plays later with runners on second and third, Tatum Lasseter cleared the bases with a two-run single to take the lead and secure the 3-1 win.

Lasseter was the lone player with multiple hits as she went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

Jaley Young got the win after allowing just one run off of six hits and a walk in three innings. Maxie Provost got four strikeouts in three shutout innings of relief.

In the next game, the Jags took a 2-0 lead over Gulf Shores in the top of the first, but a six-run bottom of the frame from the Dolphins proved to be the decisive blow. Spain Park responded with three runs in the top of the second to make it a 6-5 game, but Gulf Shores scored twice immediately afterwards to seal the 8-5 win.

Lasseter went 2-for-3 in the loss with two RBI.

The next day, Spain Park got a big bounce-back win over Austin.

The Jags took an early 1-0 lead off a first-inning RBI groundout from Lasseter following a lead-off Charlee Bennett double.

After three strikeouts from Provost to end the first, two hit batsmen and a walk loaded up the bases with one out in the top of the second for Bennett. She drove a pair of runs home with a line-drive two-run single to take a 3-0 lead.

That kicked off a massive inning as Chloe Wade came home off a fielder’s choice and Lasseter secured an RBI single to increase the lead to 5-0.

While Thompson got out trying to reach home off a dropped third strike, Allie Whitaker came up big with a three-run homer to center on the next at-bat. King followed that up with a solo shot to finish off the inning with a 9-0 lead.

Austin got on the board in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 9-1, but after three walks in the top of the third, Whitaker drove home two runs with a single to take the lead to 11-1.

The Black Bears plated one more run in the bottom of the third before the game ended and Spain Park took an 11-2 win.

Bennett and Whitaker each finished the game 2-for-3 as Whitaker had five RBI and one run while Bennett earned two RBI and two runs. Provost got the win with three strikeouts in two innings against one run, two hits and one walk.

The Jags finished off the tournament with a two-run win over Enterprise.

Spain Park held the Wildcats scoreless in the top of the first to allow Thompson to grab the 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the frame off a one-out solo home run.

However, Enterprise loaded up the bases off two walks and a single to start the second inning. Two batters later, a catching error allowed the Wildcats to equalize.

Spain Park immediately responded in the bottom of the second, using a lead-off walk by Whitaker to set up a two-run blast from King to put her team up 3-1.

A lead-off double, a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position for Enterprise with just one out in the top of the third. The Wildcats then hit a two-run single to tie the game up at 3-3.

The Jags utilized the long ball to take the lead yet again in the bottom of the third as Lasseter’s solo shot gave her team the lead for good. Bennett added an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth before time expired in the bottom of the fifth, giving Spain Park the win.

King led the team with a 2-for-2 game with two RBI and two runs. She, Thompson and Bennett each finished with home runs. Provost got the win in relief with 2.2 shutout innings with three strikeouts against two hits and no walks.

Two days later, Spain Park fell 4-1 to Hoover in its first seven-inning game of the season, but the Jags will look to right the ship on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m. against Fairfield at Spain Park High School.