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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HELENA – In a high-octane battle with so much at stake, the Helena Huskies rose to the challenge and will host the clash for the area championship at Helena High School.

Helena defeated the Spain Park Jaguars 10-8 on Thursday, April 17 at Helena High School to move to 5-1 in area play and clinch the regular season area championship.

That means the Huskies will host the Class 6A, Area 7 tournament at Helena High School next weekend to determine who will advance to the Central Regional in Montgomery.

After a scoreless first inning, Marlee Parsons worked around a pair of Spain Park hits in the top of the second to set up a big bottom of the second for the Huskies offense.

Helena loaded up the bases after a lead-off double from Destiny Brashears with a hit by pitch and an error. Another infield error led the Huskies score two runs as Brashears and Tatum Cooper came home off the bat of Gracie Storey for the 2-0 lead.

Another batter was hit to load up the bases before the Jags made a pitching change and got two-straight outs. However, the error bug bit again as Carrington Schiefer cleared out the bases with a grounder that took the lead to 5-0.

However, a Jaley Young single and Charlee Bennett double got Spain Park in business in the top of the third. Chloe Wade got the Jags on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly before Jordan Weiner plated another runner with a ground out.

With the bases then cleared, Klara Thompson launched a solo home run on the first pitch she saw to cut the deficit to 5-3.

The Jags then kept the Huskies from scoring in the bottom of the inning, and Reagan Roberts’ lead-off double helped them continue the rally in the top of the fourth. Two batters later, Young singled to make it a one-run game before a Bennett ground out to tie the game at 5-5.

Just like in the third, Spain Park capped the rally with a first-pitch home run, this time from Wade with a two-run shot for the 7-5 lead ahead of a Huskies pitching change.

After another scoreless inning in the fourth, Helena got two on and one out to start the bottom of the fifth. Cooper singled before a run scored off an error, making it a one-run game again.

Two batters later, Storey overcame a two-out hole to plate two runs with a single to retake an 8-7 lead.

From there, Henley Traywick hit a solo shot to start the bottom of the sixth before Brashears finished off a two-out rally with a run off an error for the 10-7 lead.

Schiefer got the win with 3.1 shutout innings of relief, allowing just one hit and one walk while earning two strikeouts. Parsons got five strikeouts in the first 3.2 innings.

Storey finished with four RBI and a run on a 1-for-3 day.

For Sapin Park, Bennett was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, Roberts finished 2-for-3 with a run and Young went 2-for-3 with an RBI as well as four strikeouts in four innings of relief in the circle. Wade earned three RBI in the loss.

Helena improved to 23-12-2 with the win while Spain Park dropped to 21-16. Both teams will be in action in the Hoover Classic on April 18 and 19 at the Hoover Met Complex.