Submitted photos – The Huskies celebrate their tournament championship last weekend.

By Ray Hamill — The Fortuna Huskies have been the most dominant H-DN softball team so far this season, running out to a 6-0 start as they get set for league play next week.

Last weekend, the Fortuna girls continued to roll and won the Cloverdale tournament, coming up clutch late in the championship game.

And that makes them this week’s Humboldt Sports Team of the Week, sponsored by College of the Redwoods Athletics.

But the honors don’t stop there for the impressive Huskies.

We also honor senior Kylee Fennell as one of Athletes of the Week after her MVP performance in tournament play.

Fennell dominated in the circle in the championship game against the host school and came up clutch when her team needed it the most.

The senior held the Cloverdale offense to just two runs through the opening six innings, before the Eagles rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh and had the potential winning run at third with just one out.

But Fennell dug deep again to record two more outs and force the extra innings, giving the Huskies a chance at winning the game, which they would do in eight innings by a score of 8-7.

Our boys Athlete of the Week nod, meanwhile, goes to Arcata’s Mason Alway, who enjoyed an outstanding week on the local golf courses.

Alway surged to the top of the league standings with back-to-back wins in rounds two and three of the H-DN season, winning at Baywood and Eureka, on Monday and Thursday, respectively.

Alway shot a 74 at Baywood and followed that with a 75 in very challenging and rainy conditions three days later.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK 

Mason Alway

Arcata Golf, Junior

Alway stormed to the top of the league standings with a pair of three-stroke victories in league play this week.

In three rounds of league play so far this season, the Arcata standout has three top-three finishes, showcasing his consistency.

He now holds a six-stroke lead in the season standings over St. Bernard’s Esteban Cervantes, who is second

For more on his big week, see Exciting race building in local high school golf …

Kylee Fennell

Fortuna Softball, Senior

Fennell, who pitched two wins in tournament play, has been in outstanding form through the early season and gives the Huskies a potent one-two punch in the circle along with fellow senior Libby Johnston.

In addition to her big pitching performance, the standout senior also had a big game at the plate in the final, finishing 3-for-5 with an RBI.

Both Fennell and Johnston appear poised for a big league campaign.

As does their team …

TEAM OF THE WEEK 

Fortuna Softball

The Huskies are 6-0 and will head into league play next week with plenty of momentum and confidence.

The Fortuna girls won all three of their games at the Cloverdale tournament with several players stepping up.

In addition to Fennell’s MVP performance, Johnston and Zoe Dewberry were each also named to the all-tournament team.

Johnston has been just as impressive as Fennell through the early season and was 4-for-5 with an RBI in the championship game after pitching a shutout against Clear Lake in the semifinal,

Tougher challenges await the Huskies in the Big 5, but head coach Eric Helms and his players have every reason to like their chances in the coming weeks.

For more on their big week, see Strong pitching leads Fortuna girls to tournament championship …