The Mt. Hope softball team clinched the Division II South title as they out-slugged Portsmouth 8-4 during a home game on Tuesday afternoon. The Huskies finished the regular season 16-0 in league play and 17-1 overall.

Mt. Hope junior pitcher Reily Amaral struck out 11 and allowed just three hits, a walk and four runs in seven innings of work.

Portsmouth pitcher Megan Malone hit a two run homer in the top of the first inning to give Patriots a 2-0 lead.

Mt. Hope two hitter, Sydney Crowell tied the game in the bottom of the inning, hitting a blast over the fence with Elsa White on base to even the score 2-2.

White scored again in the second inning on a two out double by Jayda Sylvia to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead.

The Patriots tied the score in the top of the third and took the lead again in the fourth. Amaral walked Katrina Hopton and she scored on a double by Margaret Lauder to tie the scored 3-3. In the top of the fourth Ella Daly reached via error and came around to score on a ground out by Ashley Murphy.

Mt. Hope answered in the bottom of the fourth with three runs of their own. Sammy Malafronte led off the inning with a single. White reached via error to give the Huskies runners on first and second. Sylvia singled with one out to load the bases for clean up hitter Grace Stephenson. The Huskies slugger bashed a bases clearing double to the left field fence give Mt. Hope a 6-4 lead.

Mt. Hope added insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth. Crowell singled and scored on a passed ball and Sylvia reached via error and scored on Stepenson’s second double of the game to give the Huskies an 8-4 lead.

Amaral blanked the Patriots the rest of the way, striking out seven in the last three innings.