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By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

WETUMPKA – With back-to-back wins sitting on their back, the Spain Park Jaguars continued on a positive trend to collect three wins in two days at the Wetumpka Tournament.

The Jags earned victories over the Prattville Lions, Dothan Wolves and Stanhope Elmore Mustangs before losing to the Springville Tigers in the finale in the weekend festivities from from Friday, Feb. 28 to Saturday, March 1.

Spain Park put up a strong performance to start the tournament on day one with a 7-1 win over Prattville. 

This game proved to be largely a pitcher’s duel for most of the game, with not many runners reaching base. However, the Jags managed to get two runners on in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings, and although they could not capitalize on those chances, it boosted momentum for the late stages of the game.

The Lions got on the board first though, as with a runner on third in the top of the fifth, a ground ball in the infield yielded an error to score the first run of the game, putting them up 1-0.

Spain Park answered that spark in a big way though, smelling an opportunity. After back-to-back singles led off the bottom of the fifth, Charlee Bennett laid down a bunt to the first base side where an error was committed and a run was scored to tie things up.

A couple of batters later, Allie Whitaker singled into center field to drive in two runs and make it a 3-1 game. Reagan Roberts added one more run in the frame with a ground ball to first base, allowing another run to score and extend things to 4-1.

The Jags continued things into the bottom of the sixth, as following a lead-off walk, Jordan Weiner recorded a miraculous inside-the-park home run out to left field, making it a 6-1 game. A few batters later with Bennett standing on second, Klara Thompson reached on an error that allowed another run to cross, finishing the scoring off at 7-1.

Jaley Young pitched a complete game to begin the tournament, earning the win in a game that saw her give up one run on two hits, while striking out four and walking one.

Game two proved to be a highly defensive battle, but the resilience of Spain Park allowed it to take home another win, 2-1 over Dothan.

Things did not indicate a defensive showdown early. In the top of the first, the Wolves had a runner sitting on third with one out and eventually scored her on a ground out to second base, starting the game at 1-0.

The Jags threatened early with a lead-off triple from Bennett in the bottom of the first, but nothing came of it. They picked it back up in the bottom of the second, getting a runner on second before Maxie Provost stroked a single into center field to tie the game at one run each. A couple of batters later with the bases loaded and two outs, Bennett drew a walk, which allowed another run to cross and make it 2-1.

After the first inning, Dothan never recorded a single hit, as Spain Park shut it down frame by frame and closed this game out with ease. 

Provost went all seven innings of one-run and two-hit ball with six strikeouts and two runs to go along with it.

The Jags came back in game three to take on Stanhope Elmore in a more challenging game that saw them have to come back late in order to grab a 7-3 win.

The Mustangs mounted pressure early in this one, drawing four straight walks to make it 1-0 in the top of the first. They scored again a couple of batters later thanks to a ground ball that resulted in an error, allowing another run to score to increase the lead to 2-0.

Spain Park’s Allie Whitaker responded in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly with one out to score Bennett from third and get her team on the board at 2-1.

The Jags kept things going into the bottom of the third with back-to-back singles to lead the frame off. Whitaker then hit a ground ball to the left side that yielded an error and allowed the tying run to score. Provost followed that at-bat up with a bunt driving in another run and giving Spain Park the lead at 3-2.

Stanhope Elmore responded to the attack quickly in the top of the fourth, leading the inning off with a double and a single before another single drove in the tying run and made it 3-3.

The Jags did not want to stay in a tight contest however, and in the bottom of the fourth, they turned on the jets. With Grayson Heaton sitting on first, Chloe Wade recorded a single, but she and Heaton both scored on an error by the center fielder to make it a 5-3 game.

A few batters later with Weiner on third and Bennett on second, a wild pitch was able to score both runners and extend the score to 7-3 and secure the win soon after.

Young recorded another win, pitching five innings on the day while giving up one run on three hits and striking out seven.

The positive momentum did not stay with Spain Park the rest of the day though, as it capped off the tournament with an 11-3 loss to Springville in game four and a 3-1 record.

The Jags returned to action a couple of days later to face the White Plains Wildcats, where they also fell 7-3 in that game.

Spain Park will look to bounce back in their first area game of the season against the Pelham Panthers on Tuesday, March 4 at 5:00 p.m. on its own turf at Spain Park High School.