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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – The Helena Huskies are heading back to the Class 6A state softball tournament once again, but they had a bit more drama than usual getting there as they needed to win a game in the lower bracket to reach Oxford.

Helena defeated the Chilton County Tigers 3-1 in the lower bracket finals on Thursday, May 8 at Lagoon Park, booking a spot at state for the sixth-straight season.

The Huskies took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first thanks to a one-out RBI single from Carrington Schiefer. She then took the circle and kept the Tigers at bay, working around an error in the bottom of the first before striking out two in a one-two-three bottom of the second.

An error to begin the inning put Lily Sanderson on second before she reached third on a Schiefer ground out. Sanderson then came home on the next pitch after Hayden Traywick hit into a sacrifice fly, making the lead 2-0.

Schiefer worked around a base runner in both the third and fourth innings to set up Helena in the top of the fifth. With one out, Macie Brashears bunted right off the bat and hit a single. She then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch that made it a 3-1 count for Sanderson.

While Sanderson lined out to left, Brashears came home after tagging up to increase the lead to 3-0.

After a scoreless fifth for Chilton County, it finally broke through in the sixth when a two-out single put two on. The Tigers got multiple foul tips but fought through and singled on a line drive to left, getting on the board and cutting the deficit to 3-1.

However, Schiefer got the next four batters out to end the game and seal the 3-1 victory. Schiefer finished with seven strikeouts in seven innings, allowing just one run off three hits and a walk. She also reached base twice as a hitter in a 1-for-3 game.

Brashears finished 2-for-4 with two runs.

Before that game, Helena reached the winners’ bracket finals with back-to-back wins over the Calera Eagles and Hueytown Golden Gophers to start the tournament on Wednesday, May 7.

The Huskies immediately found themselves in a hole to start the game against Calera when Issy Overton hit a lead-off home run in the top of the first.

After a scoreless second, the Eagles dispatched a pair of Helena base runners in the bottom half of the inning before walking to start the third. While the next two batters got out, Alexi Johnson stole second during Mia Wade’s at-bat, setting her up to score off Wade’s double for the 2-0 lead.

Kinley Rodgers followed that up with an RBI single to increase the lead to 3-0.

That would be Calera’s last offense of the game as the Huskies scored eight unanswered runs after that to win the game.

After leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the third, an error with two outs in the bottom of the fourth put runners on second and third for Macie Brashears. She quickly doubled to center to score both runners and cut the deficit to 3-2 ahead of the end of the inning.

Addison Draiss singled to start the bottom of the fifth, and two batters later, Hayden Traywick singled to bring her home from second and tie the game at 3-3.

Destiny Brashears capitalized on a new pitcher with a single before the Eagles got the out at third to get to two outs. However, Gracie Storey walked to load up the bases for Isabel Vice, who singled to left and scored two runs to take a 5-3 lead.

Helena used an error and a walk in the bottom of the sixth to set up its final blow. With two outs in the inning, Destiny Brashears launched a line drive to center for a three-run home run to finish off the 8-3 win.

Another big part of the comeback was Marlee Parsons’ shutdown performance in the circle. After giving up three early runs, she finished with 13 strikeouts in a complete-game win while allowing just three hits and a walk.

Destiny Brashears finished 3-for-3 with a walk and a three-run home run, Macie Brashears went 3-for-4 with two RBI, Vice was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run and Hayden Traywick had a 2-for-4 game with an RBI and a run.

The next game brought an even more dominant performance in an 11-0 win over Hueytown in five innings. Schiefer dominated as the starter in the game, shutting out the Golden Gophers in five innings while racking up nine strikeouts against four hits and a walk.

Helena gave her some help before she even took the circle. With one on and one out in the top of the first, Macie Brashears stole third before coming home off a Schiefer RBI single. A passed ball put Schiefer on second ahead of an error that brought her home for the 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless second inning, two walks and an error loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third. Storey walked to bring home the third run and bring up Henley Traywick, who hit a ball to right before multiple errors brought her and both runners home. That made the lead 7-0.

Schiefer capitalized off a Macie Brashears walk to score her from second off a two-out RBI single, increasing the lead to 8-0.

The Huskies then used a walk and a Tatum Cooper single to start the fourth to set up a two-out single from Henley Traywick. Both runners came home off the single for the 10-0 lead.

Helena was already in position to take the run-rule win, but after a one-out walk in the top of the fifth, Lily Abernathy brought her all the way home from first with a double to finish off the 11-0 win.

Schiefer was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run in addition to her shutout pitching performance, and Henley Traywick finished 2-for-2 with a walk, four RBI and a run.

Helena would go on to lose 8-3 to Brookwood in the winners’ bracket finals. The Panthers took two separate leads in the top of the first and third before the Huskies tied it up both times. However, five runs in the sixth off three RBI doubles gave Brookwood the lead for good.

The Huskies would go on to beat Chilton County from there to book their spot in the Class 6A state softball tournament on May 15 and 16 at Choccolocco Park in Oxford.