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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

VESTAVIA HILLS – The Spain Park Jaguars quieted the Vestavia Hills Rebels’ bats as they took their second-straight victory.

Spain Park defeated Vestavia Hills 4-1 on Thursday, Feb. 27 at Vestavia Hills High School behind strong pitching performances by Reagan Roberts and Maxie Provost.

Roberts finished with the win with 5.2 innings, earning six strikeouts against one run, two hits and two walks. Provost took the save with 1.1 shutout innings with two strikeouts against just one hit.

The Jags took the early lead after Charlee Bennett hit a lead-off double and worked her way around the bases to take a 1-0 lead.

The next inning, Spain Park recovered from an opening ground out to get two runners on in two pitches off a Roberts double and Jaley Young single. Those were part of four straight hits for the Jags capped off by an RBI single from Jordan Weiner to double up the lead.

Then, an error off a ground ball from Bennett increased the lead to 3-0 as Spain Park remained in control.

However, Vestavia Hills got on the board with the lone blemish against the Jags pitching staff–a lead-off home run in the bottom of the second to cut the deficit to 3-1.

Roberts shut down the Rebels from there though, striking out the final two batters of the inning after an outfield error gave them another baserunner. Spain Park then allowed just one hit over the next two innings.

The Jags capped off the scoring on just the second pitch of the fifth inning. After the first batter of the inning hit into a fly out, Allie Whitaker launched the first pitch she saw over the left field wall for a home run.

While Spain Park had a brief scare in the bottom of the sixth as the base-paths filled up off two errors and a walk, it kept Vestavia Hills scoreless from there as it sealed the 4-1 win.

Roberts was the lone Jags batter to have multiple hits as she went 2-for-4 with a run.

Spain Park will hit the road to Wetumpka to play in tournament action on Friday, Feb. 28 and Saturday, March 1.