Spain Park wouldn’t score until the bottom of the third when Klara Thompson made it a one-run game with a two-run home run. The Jags then navigated a bases-loaded jam to start the fourth and immediately tied the game on a King home run in the bottom of the frame.
After a scoreless fifth, Brashears struck with two outs and launched a solo home run to retake a 4-3 lead. An error and two walks followed to load up the bases, but Spain Park forced a fly out to strand the runners.
A walk and King single started out the Jags sixth, and Whitaker capitalized by tying up the game with an RBI double. With a runner still on third, Huey got a groundout to take the 5-4 lead, and the lead held all the way through the end for the win and spot in regionals.
Jaley Young got the complete-game win with 10 strikeouts, working around three earned runs, four total runs, seven hits and seven walks. King finished 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs and an RBI.
Helena then won an elimination game against Chelsea the next morning to force a rematch for the area title.
This time, the Jags jumped ahead off a two-run King home run in the bottom of the first.
Both pitchers retired the side in the second, but the Huskies tagged Spain Park for two one-out singles in the third. That led to an intentional walk to try and force a double play, but a Lily Sanderson sacrifice fly cut the gap to 2-1.
Helena loaded up the bases again in the fourth but the Jags recovered to leave them that way.
Traywick tied it up thanks to a two-out solo shot in the top of the fifth. However, a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning set up the response, a two-run home run from Reagan Roberts for the 4-2 lead.
A walk and an error to start the seventh let Helena get back within a run, but Spain Park turned two and forced a first-pitch line out to capture the area title.
King was also perfect in the win, going 2-for-2 with a walk, two RBI and two walks. Provost got the win in relief, pitching the final 3.2 innings while giving up one earned run, two total runs, three hits and a walk.
The Jags will have a top seed in the Class 6A Central Regional on May 11 and 12 at Montgomery’s Lagoon Park. Surviving the double-elimination tournament will send them back to state.