By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

PRATTVILLE – The state of Alabama saw plenty of wet weather the week of Feb. 18 cancelling numerous softball games, but luckily for the Huskies, there was enough break in the weather for Helena to travel to Prattville to open the season with an impressive 2-0 win on Thursday, Feb. 21.

The Huskies were led by senior starting pitcher Avery Barnett, who began her 2019 campaign with a three-hit complete game shutout on seven strikeouts against the Lions.

Barnett is coming off an outstanding junior season, where she finished as a first team All-County player with 138 strikeouts and led the county in wins with 25 in 2018. She held an ERA of 2.1 through 172 innings pitched.

She is now 1-0 to begin 2019 as she got just enough run support as the Huskies finished the game with two runs on six hits.

Helena’s two runs came in the top of third inning after Julia Wilkins started things off with a bunt single. Kelsi Bargman then hit a sacrifice bunt to move Wilkins into scoring position with one out.

Two batters later, Lexie Bullock laid down another bunt as Prattville committed an error that scored both Wilkins and Torie White to put the Huskies ahead for good 2-0.

Wilkins and White both led the Huskies at the plate finishing with two hits apiece, while Bargman and Emily Crowe also each had a hit.