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By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

HOOVER – The Helena Huskies cruised to one of their biggest wins of the season as they went on the road and beat the Class 7A Hoover Buccaneers on Thursday, March 14.

Helena opened up a 3-0 lead with its hitting and then capitalized on miscues from Hoover to build on that advantage for the 6-1 win.

The Huskies got going early with a leadoff single by Presley Lively. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly allowed her to score from third and put her team up 1-0.

While neither team scored in the second inning, Hayden Traywick wasted no time in the top of the third. She launched the first pitch of the inning for a solo home run, increasing the lead to two.

A walk and a single started off the third inning strong for Helena. Addison Draiss hit a one-out RBI single to make the lead 3-0.

With no runs in the fourth and the fifth, the Huskies made up for it in the sixth with three runs after capitalizing on opportunities given to them by the Bucs.

Molly Rollan started the inning with a single and an error on Draiss’ ensuing at-bat put two runners on with no outs.

That cushion allowed Hayden Morrison’s groundout to score Tatum Cooper from third for the fourth run of the game.

Then, Traywick’s fly ball led to trouble from Hoover, resulting in an error and a 5-0 lead. Two more errors followed in the next two at-bats with the second one after Lively hit a ground ball leading to Helena’s final run of the night.

The Huskies reduced the Bucs to their last out before the hosts put a run on the board. An RBI single with two outs in the seventh made the score 6-1, but a fly out to Hannah Steele on the next at-bat ended the bases-loaded threat and sealed the win.

Morrison claimed the win with six shutout innings, taking care of seven hits and a walk to preserve Helena’s lead.

Helena will return to Hoover on Saturday, March 16 for the Buccaneer Round Robin with Chelsea, Hartselle and Billingsley on the schedule for the day.