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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MOUNTAIN BROOK – The Helena Huskies came out of the gate firing and didn’t let up in a dominant road win at the Mountain Brook Spartans on Monday, March 4.

Helena scored eight unanswered runs to start the game and earn the 11-4 win at Mountain Brook High School.

After Presley Lively was hit by a pitch to start the game, Hannah Steele capitalized on an error two batters later to kick off the scoring.

While the Huskies were reduced to two outs, Emma Olive doubled on the first pitch she saw to drive Steele home.

A hit by pitch kept Helena alive and put two on for Molly Rollan, who hit an RBI single to make the lead 3-0 after the first inning.

In the circle, Hayden Traywick dominated the early stretch of the game and pitched a no-hitter through 3.1 innings, surrendering just two walks during that span.

That set up the Huskies for an explosive top of the fourth inning at the plate.

Rollan walked to start the inning before Helena hit four straight singles. The final two of the sequence by Lively and Gracie Storey plated a pair of runs and took the lead to 5-0.

With the bases still loaded two batters later, Henley Traywick singled to bring home Cammi Pugh for the sixth run of the game. A hit by pitch and a walk in the next two at-bats led to another two runs and put the Huskies up 8-0 at the end of the inning.

The teams remained scoreless until the bottom of the sixth when Mountain Brook got on the scoreboard for the first time thanks to a bases loaded walk with two outs.

Helena quickly responded in the top of the seventh. After surrendering the first two outs of the inning, Destiny Brashears walked to get on base and set up Lively for a triple to increase the lead to 9-1.

After a walk in the next at-bat, Steele doubled to score both Lively and Storey and score the final runs of the game for the Huskies.

With Helena up 11-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Mountain Brook briefly made the game interesting with three runs coming from a pair of RBI singles and an RBI groundout. However, the Huskies secured the final out of the game on a groundout to secure the seven-run victory.

Hayden Traywick earned the win with four shutout innings. She took nine strikeouts against one hit and two walks. Harley Morrison finished off the game with three strikeouts in three innings.

Lively finished the game 3-4 with three runs and two RBIs.

Helena will look for their 16th win of the season when it opens area play against Pelham on Wednesday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m.