1 of 26

Helena tamed Pelham’s hot bats to sweep the area series ahead of a dramatic win over Opelika. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

After reclassification brought the return of area stakes to the Helena Huskies and Pelham Panthers’ annual baseball series, the Huskies got the better of their most heated rivals.

Helena swept the area series against Pelham by winning 4-0 on Wednesday, March 19 at Pelham High School before an 11-1 victory in six innings on Thursday, March 20 at Helena High School.

In the first game, the Huskies went right to work when an error and a Nick Peters single put two on with one out for Davis Kelley. After he sent a ground ball to third, the Panthers opted to get the runner out at second and allow Jarret Scott to come home, giving Helena a 1-0 lead.

The Huskies held onto that lead even in the face of a two-on, one-out jam from Pelham in the bottom of the second.

From there, a Brayden Kendrick single followed by a hit batsman put Helena in business in the top of the fourth with another two-on, one-out situation. After a wild pitch advanced both runners, Lane Harris plated a run with a ground out to double the lead.

Harris would also be responsible for the third run when he got a one-out RBI single to score Kendrick in the top of the sixth and make it a 3-0 lead.

Nick Peters capped off the scoring with an RBI double in the top of the seventh, capitalizing off Scott reaching base in the previous at-bat to seal the 4-0 win.

Brayden Dockery was a big reason why the Huskies shut down the Panthers offense. He struck out 10 batters in a complete-game shutout, allowing just three hits and one walk to take the win.

Peters led the Helena offense with a 2-for-3 day with a walk and an RBI. Harris finished with two RBI on a 1-for-3 performance.

The next day at Helena High School, early control issues for Pelham allowed the Huskies to jump ahead to a big lead.

A Scott single followed by an error during Peters’ at-bat put two on with one out. Scott scored from third off a passed ball, and on the next batter, Hudson Campbell scored off an infield error.

What’s more, both batters walked after those runs scored, setting up Harris to drive both home with an RBI single for the 4-0 lead.

A walk and a hit by pitch loaded up the bases only for another walk off a 3-2 pitch sent home the fifth run.

After a pitching change for the Panthers, Brett Cannon kept the offense going with an RBI single ahead of a two-run single from Scott which took the lead to 8-0 after just one inning.

While Pelham loaded up the bases in the top of the third, it couldn’t capitalize, keeping the Huskies in front.

Helena struck again in the bottom of the fourth. Scott doubled to start the inning, and even after the next two batters got out, Kendrick swung for the fences on the first pitch he saw and got exactly what he wanted–a two-run home run to put the hosts up 10-0.

Trying to avoid an early sweep due to the run rule, Pelham battled back and loaded up the bases off a one-out single from Ryan Funderburk, a two-out single from Gavin Fitts and a hit batsman. The Huskies then walked the ensuing batter on five pitches to cut the deficit to 10-1.

That kept the game alive for another inning after the hosts went down in order in the bottom of the fifth. However, they wouldn’t miss their next chance to end the game in the bottom of the sixth.

After Cannon’s lead-off double and a hit by pitch put two on with nobody out, Peters doubled on the first pitch he saw to extend the lead to 11-1, ending the game and the series.

Scott finished 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs and Cannon was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Kendrick earned two RBI off a 1-for-2 day with a walk and two runs while Harris had two RBI during a 1-for-3 performance with a walk.

Trey Lampman took the win with seven strikeouts in six innings against one run, four hits and four walks.

Funderburk was the lone Pelham batter with multiple hits as he went 2-for-3 with a run.

Helena would then defeat Opelika 8-5 on Friday, March 21 behind a massive five-run rally in the bottom of the sixth. RBI singles from Sam Odom, Nate Jones, Scott and Kelley helped the Huskies tie and eventually take the lead for good in the home victory.

Helena improved to 13-8 as a result of the win and will start Buccaneer Classic action on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. against Oak Lawn at the Hoover Met Complex.

More News

Helena offense explodes in extra innings, takes round one over Northridge

Westminster OM advances in Class 2A baseball playoffs

Briarwood sweeps doubleheader, beats Holtville and advances in playoffs

Archer, Poe shine as Vincent sweeps West End in round one