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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

PELL CITY – When Destiny Brashears stepped up to the plate in the top of the 10th inning against Pell City, she was thinking exactly what any young ball player would at that moment—she wanted to deliver the game-winning hit.

As the Helena Huskies laid their undefeated record on the line on Tuesday, Feb. 18, Brashears delivered a momentous home run over the fence in left field that gave her team a 6-4 lead, and eventually, a win over the Pell City Panthers at Pell City High School.

That home run was the biggest of three long balls that she hit that day, making a massive statement in the early portion of her senior season.

Helena got right to work in this game as Destiny’s sister, Macie, led the game off with a walk. After stealing second base and eventually advancing to third on a passed ball, she scored as a result of a single to left field off the bat of Henley Traywick, putting the Huskies up 1-0

Destiny Brashears then made her first plate appearance of the game, and on the fourth pitch she saw, she struck a line drive out to right field and over the wall for a two-run home run, making it 3-0 early.

Pell City chipped away at the lead in the bottom half of the first inning. After leading the frame off with a single, the Panthers were later able to put a run on the board with two outs thanks to another single into right field, cutting things to 3-1.

For the next few innings, the game became a defensive duel with neither team making any progress. That was until the bottom of the fifth inning came around, when the Panthers decided to make their move.

Following back-to-back outs to start the frame, a walk and a single set Pell City up to hit one more single that cleared the bases and knotted the game up at three runs each.

From that point on, neither team was able to break free to win this game in regulation, which set fans up to catch some free softball. 

As the game entered the eighth inning of play, Traywick led things off with a strikeout looking before giving way to Destiny Brashears. Brashears, looking to make some more noise, did exactly that with another deep shot to right field, breaking the tie and putting the Huskies up 4-3.

The Panthers were not done just yet however. With a runner on first and one out, Pell City hit a ball to center field, bringing the runner on first all the way around to score, tying this game again. Despite the big boost of momentum though, the Panthers could not get the winning run in.

After a scoreless ninth inning, Helena came back up in the top of the 10th looking to push through this fierce battle. After Traywick went down swinging, Destiny Brashears stepped back up, and with a 3-2 count and Sprouse sitting on second, delivered the deep shot to left field that effectively won the game and put the Huskies up 6-4.

Pell City could not score in the bottom half of the inning, and Helena returned back home as winners of a thriller.

Marlee Parsons earned the win in the circle, pitching 5.1 innings on the night and giving up just one run on three hits while striking out nine Panthers. Hayden Traywick started the game and gave up three runs on five hits while punching out four and walking one in 4.2 innings of work.

The Huskies will take the field again on Friday, Feb. 21 for a doubleheader at a tournament in Gardendale in which they will play the Hamilton Aggies and the Gardendale Rockets. First pitch in those games will be at 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.