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Helena’s softball team took down Pelham 7-1 on Monday, March 20 to improve to 3-0 in area play. (For the Reporter/Jeremy Raines)

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor 

HELENA – A stellar outing from Amelia Powell in the circle was more than enough for the Helena Huskies to pick up a rivalry win against the Pelham Panthers on Monday, March 20.

Already sitting at 2-0 in area play with wins over the other two area opponents, Powell put together a complete-game effort for the Huskies and gave up just one run on six hits with nine strikeouts in her seven innings of work.

That effort was just what Helena’s offense needed, as the Huskies steadily pulled away with one run each in the second, third and fourth innings, and then, an additional two runs each in the fifth and sixth innings to put away a 7-1 victory.

Powell didn’t give up her lone run until the top of the seventh, and she followed with a forced ground out and back-to-back strikeouts to complete the win.

With the victory, the Huskies improved to 3-0 in area play with one area game left against Briarwood as they look to host the area tournament.

After a scoreless first inning between the two teams, Helena’s offense started to heat up in the bottom of the second after Hayden Traywick doubled to lead off the inning. Following two outs, Allie Graydon stepped to the plate and drove an RBI single to shortstop that brought Traywick home for the game’s first run.

The Huskies added another run an inning later on a Victoria Mauterer RBI single that drove home Presley Lively, who singled to lead off the inning.

Up 2-0 through three innings, Helena got a lead-off hit for the third inning in a row in the bottom of the fourth and capitalized again when Graydon singled to right field for a 3-0 lead.

The same happened in the fifth when Lively led off with a single and was driven home one batter later when Hannah Steele singled to center field. This time, however, the Huskies added a second run in the inning on a two-out RBI single from Powell to make it 5-0.

Helena added two insurance runs an inning later when they loaded the bases with no outs, which set the stage for an RBI groundout from Mauterer and a sac fly from Traywick.

Graydon led the way at the plate for the Huskies with a 2-for-3 game featuring two RBIs, while Steele and Powell both finished with two hits and one RBI each. Lively also had two RBIs on one hit, while Mauterer finished with two hits and Traywick added one hit and one RBI. Helena totaled 13 hits in the victory.

Pelham was led by two hits from Jessica Gray, while Alaina Stewart finished with a hit and RBI.

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