By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

HOOVER – After finishing tied atop the 7A Area 6 regular season softball standings at 4-2 along with both Vestavia Hills and Hewitt-Trussville, the Lady Jaguars from Spain Park hosted the area tournament after winning a coin toss with the Lady Huskies and Lady Rebels. In the area tournament Spain Park won three games in three days while only losing once, and claimed the area tournament title in the process, locking up a berth in the North-Central Regional tournament in Tuscaloosa.

 

Game 1. Spain Park 13 – Mountain Brook 3

Spain Park beat hapless Mountain Brook in the first game of the tournament easily by a final of 13-3. The Lady Jags scored two runs in the bottom of the second, and after Mountain Brook scored three in the top of the third to take a momentary 3-2 lead, Spain Park erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the third inning to take an 11-3 lead, eventually winning 13-3. Kate Campbell, Caroline Parker and Caroline Kendrick each saw time on the mound in the first game, while Julianna Cross and Parker each had two hits from the plate in the winning effort.

 

Game 2. Spain Park 5 – Hewitt-Trussville 0

In the second game of the tournament for Spain Park, the Lady Jaguars jumped on the Lady Huskies early, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning and coasting to a 5-0 win on the back of the pitching effort of Anna Belle Wildra. Wildra threw a complete game, tossing 117 pitches over seven innings while giving up just two hits and no runs while striking out 11. Mary Katherine Tedder went 3-for-4 from the plate in the game while Cross and Jenna Olszewski each had two hits as well to lead Spain Park from the plate. The win also locked up a trip to the North-Central Regional for Spain Park as well.

 

Game 3. Vestavia Hills 11 – Spain Park 5

Vestavia beat Hewitt in the elimination bracket after losing to the Lady Huskies the first time the two teams played. The win in the elimination bracket gave the Lady Rebels the second regional bid out of the area, but had to beat Spain Park twice in a row to get the area title. Vestavia did win the first game 11-5 after taking an 8-0 lead in the second inning, but Spain Park came back in the second game between the two to claim the area title.

 

Game 4. Spain Park 9 – Vestavia Hills 0

The Lady Jags scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning and added five more runs over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, winning the decisive fourth game by a 9-0 final, clinching the area title. Wildra was once again the highlight of the game for the Lady Jags, as she threw her another complete game, hurling 106 pitches over seven innings, giving up just one hit and no run while striking out nine. Spain Park also had 15 hits in the game, and was led by Destini England and Hope Maddox, who both had three hits in the game, Maddox also had a home run and three RBIs as well.

 

Spain Park moved to 34-17 on the season after the tournament and will now take on Hoover, the 7A Area 5 runner-up, in the first round of the North-Central Regional tournament on May 12 in Tuscaloosa.