By Ray Hamill — It was a few years in the making, but the Fortuna Huskies are champions of the Charles Lakin softball tournament again.

On Friday evening, the 2025 Huskies evoked memories of the great Fortuna teams from a decade ago with an exciting come-from-behind win in the championship game of the annual H-DNL postseason tournament at the Arcata Sports Complex.

They trailed going into the bottom of the fifth inning, but with a trio of seniors leading the way — a trio that has continually set the tone for their younger teammates all spring — they found a way to win a championship they fully deserved.

A Faith Helms bases-clearing double keyed a late rally that saw them score six runs in the final two innings on the way to a 6-4 win over the McKinleyville Panthers.

The championship not only ended an eight-year wait, but it also sets the program apart in tournament history.

It was the school’s fourth all-time Lakin title and broke a tie with Eureka for most by any softball program.

“These girls put together quite a season,” head coach Eric Helms said. “They went 22-3. That puts them up there with the all-time teams in my tenure as coach.”

It all began with the seniors, a very influential group that includes Faith Helms, Mariah Bravo and Myra Hayes.

All three are four-year varsity players and all three have played a major role in their team’s improving record each year they have been with the program, from 13-13 as freshmen to 22-3 this season.

It was also a well-deserved championship for the Huskies, who lost 8-4 to Del Norte in last year’s tournament decider and pushed the Warriors all the way to the final day of conference play in the race for this year’s Big 5 title.

But early on Friday, it appeared as if the game might get away from them.

The Panthers scored three runs in the top of the third, and with junior McKennah Sargent impressing in the circle it looked as if they might be the ones to end a six-year wait for a tournament title.

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Fortuna players and coaches celebrate their tournament championship on Friday evening.

“We started off a little flat,” Eric Helms said. “But defensively we were solid all game. It took a while for the bats to come around.”

Junior pitcher Isabel Sanchez, whose coach and many others believe is the best pitcher in the H-DNL right now, kept the McKinleyville bats in check early in the game.

“She was very efficient,” Eric Helms said of the team ace, who retired the first seven Panthers hitters in less than 20 pitches.

But in Eric Helms’s own words, “We lost a little bit of our mojo in the third.”

McKinleyville senior Bailee Box singled in the opening run of the game, before teammate Taylor Wade added a two-RBI base hit to stretch the advantage to three.

But the Huskies would not be denied and dug deep to pull out the tournament-clinching win late.

“Our kids are resilient,” the Fortuna coach added.

Sephora Machado got the big fifth inning off to a good start when she reached base on an error.

Olivia Hayes followed that with a base hit, and moments later, with one out, the Huskies loaded the bases when Hailee Thompson reached first on a fielder’s choice that failed to get an out.

Evalynn Little was then walked to open the Huskies’ account, before Faith Helms’ big hit to right center cleared the bases and gave her team a slender one-run lead.

The Panthers, however, to their credit responded with a run in the top of the sixth to pull even again, and the stage was set for an exciting finish.

In the bottom half of the sixth, Myra Hayes led off by reaching base on a hit-by-pitch and scored a few minutes later on an RBI double by Sanchez.

The junior standout would score herself on the same play when a wild throw rolled into the Fortuna dugout.

The Huskies would close out the game with three quick outs in the top of the seventh to end their long wait for another Lakin tournament championship.

Addie Collenberg also had a good game in left field for the champions and helped set the tone on the defensive side of the ball.

“Addie Collenberg was stellar all game,” Eric Helms said.

The Panthers had just two hits in the loss, once each by Box and Wade, with Box also walking twice.

Hannah McCullough and Jacey Parker each also walked twice for the Panthers, who had plenty of patient at-bats.

Sargent pitched all six innings, walking just three and striking out 11.

Only one of the Huskies’ runs was earned.

Sanchez led the Huskies at the plate and was 2-for-4 with the big RBI double, while Thompson, Machado and Olivia Hayes each also had a base hit.

Sanchez gave up just the two hits and seven walks, while striking out five.