DIAMOND RECAP: League play begins

COLUMBIA BASIN — Many Basin baseball and softball squads have been wrapping up non-league games and have begun to face competition in their respective leagues. Read along for a look at how teams have fared in their games over the past week.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline

Baseball

Against Selkirk on Saturday ACH rang off a combined 28 hits in the doubleheader, winning the first game 32-1 before an 18-0 win in the nightcap. Juniors Carter Pitts and Grayson Beal led the team in hits in the first game with four each, with Beal recording a team-high six RBI in the win. In the second game, sophomore Caden Correia and senior John Pierce led the Warriors with two hits each, with sophomore Brady Roberts driving in a team-high four runs. 

The ACH bats stayed hot against Wellpinit on Tuesday, recording 20 hits across the doubleheader. In the first game, a 17-1 win, Beal went three-for-three at the plate while Roberts drove in three runs. Pierce led the Warriors in hits (three) and tied with Beal for the team-high in RBI (three) in the second game, a 16-1 win.

ACH played Omak at home Thursday, but scores were not available in time for press deadline.

Softball

The Warriors have picked up five wins over the last week, defeating Lake Roosevelt 12-2 and sweeping Selkirk and Wellpinit in doubleheaders Saturday and Thursday, respectively.

ACH swept Selkirk over the weekend with winning scores of 15-0 and 16-1, recording 14 hits over the two-game span. Senior Beth Okamoto led the Warriors in hits (two) and senior Shaina Beal drove in a team-high three runs in the first game. Okamoto, freshman Josie Bayless and senior Kady Murray all led the Warriors with two hits in the second game of the doubleheader, including three RBI by Bayless.

Two more run-rule wins followed Tuesday, with the Warriors taking down Wellpinit 16-0 and 19-2. Murray had a three-hit, three-RBI day in the first game, both of which were team-highs, while freshman Grace Okamoto’s two hits in the nightcap led the team.

Ephrata

Baseball

The Tigers (6-3) split last Friday’s doubleheader against East Valley (Yakima), falling in the first game 2-1 before responding with an 8-4 win over the Red Devils. 

Ephrata was tied at one with the Red Devils through the first three innings of the first game before East Valley broke the tie on an error in the top of the fourth. Unable to respond, the Tigers lost the game 2-1. Seniors AJ Glenn and Cody Black both recorded a hit in the loss.

In the nightcap, Ephrata capitalized on nine East Valley errors by scoring seven of their eight runs off the errors, including three-run innings in the bottom of the third and sixth. The four Ephrata hits came from senior Hans Roberts, Glenn, senior Devyn Derr and sophomore Brady Hendrick, while Glenn drove in a run.

The Tigers suffered a non-league loss to Eastmont on Tuesday, losing on a walk-off hit on the road to the Wildcats. Down 3-1 in the top of the seventh, Black delivered a game-tying RBI single to tie the game at three, but the Wildcats responded later that same inning to earn a 4-3 win. Black and senior Walker Fulk led the Tigers with two hits each in the game.

Softball

Ephrata (5-2) hit the road for its first Central Washington Athletic Conference matchup of the season Friday, sweeping Grandview with scores of 21-2 and 19-3.

Game one of the doubleheader was highlighted by an 11-run top of the third inning for the Tigers, followed by a nine-run top of the fourth to push the lead further out of Grandview’s reach. Ephrata was led by junior Auddy Gray, junior KK Hector and senior Mady Leseman, all of whom recorded three hits in the win. Gray and junior Olivia Bicondova led the Tigers with four RBI.

Senior Peyton Trautman went four-for-four at the plate with five RBI in the second game of the doubleheader, which ended in another big win for the Tigers; Ephrata scored four runs in the first, six runs in the second and nine runs in the third inning to cap off a 19-3 win.

Lind-Ritzville/Sprague

Baseball

The Broncos were swept by both Kettle Falls and Colfax in doubleheaders Friday and Tuesday, respectively. Up next for LRS is a road doubleheader against Reardan on Saturday.

Softball

LRS began league play on Friday with a home doubleheader against Kettle Falls, defeating the Bulldogs 12-2 and 18-7 to improve to 4-2 this season. Results from Thursday’s doubleheader against Colfax were not available in time for press deadline.

Moses Lake

Baseball 

Moses Lake (6-1) finished the season sweep of Sunnyside on Friday, defeating the Grizzlies 11-0 and 10-0 at home. The Mavericks picked up 15 hits over both games of the doubleheader, while their pitching staff surrendered six hits in the two games. 

Junior Cooper Hancock started the day by pitching the entirety of the first game, recording eight strikeouts while surrendering two hits.

Freshman Dagen Enquist got the start on the mound for the second game, surrendering three hits and striking out eight Sunnyside batters. 

Moses Lake started its series against Eisenhower on Tuesday, winning in walk-off fashion after junior Cruz Martinez singled on a ground ball to send home junior Jackson Carlos in the bottom of the eighth inning. 

The Mavs opened the game with a four-run bottom of the first inning before the Cadets tied the game in the top of the sixth, sending the game to extras tied at five.

Softball

The Mavericks opened league play last Friday with a doubleheader against Sunnyside, picking up two double-digit wins over the Grizzlies. 

The first game, a 12-0 win, saw Moses Lake score 12 runs off of 14 hits while junior Paige Richardson delivered a no-hit performance, striking out 11 batters in her start in the circle. Senior Kendall Reffett led Moses Lake with three hits, while freshman Amelia Avalos drove in a team-high five runs off two hits in the win, including a grand slam in the top of the first inning.

Sunnyside got on the board in the second game, but not until Moses Lake was already up by 12 runs. Senior pitcher Morgan Ross surrendered one hit in Moses Lake’s 15-2 win, striking out eight Sunnyside batters in the process. Ross, senior Emmie Olsen, sophomore Addisyn Reffett and Avalos all saw two hits in the win.

MLCA/CCS

Baseball

MLCA/CCS’s next game is April 9 on the road against Bridgeport.

Othello

Baseball

The Huskies (5-2) rolled past Stanwood in Saturday’s non-league contest, winning 10-2 thanks to a five-run bottom of the second inning. After Stanwood opened the game by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning, Othello sophomore Quade Gonzalez IV tied the game with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, with the Huskies taking the lead on a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the second. Othello scored 10 runs on 13 hits in the win.

Softball

See today’s story on the Huskies’ win over Wenatchee.

Quincy

Baseball

The Jacks (3-3) hit the road for a non-league game against Warden on Friday, defeating the Cougars 4-2. Sophomore Jace Reyes opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, giving Quincy the lead for good in the game. 

Quincy opened Caribou Trail League play on the road against Omak on Tuesday, falling 4-1 to the Pioneers.

Softball

Quincy’s 10-day layoff between games came to a close against Omak, falling 10-8 to the Pioneers. Omak capitalized on Jackrabbit errors throughout the game, building an 8-3 lead in the top of the fourth inning. A three-run home run by sophomore Hayden Morris got the deficit back to two runs, but the Jackrabbits were unable to overtime the early hole. 

Morris leads Quincy with 11 hits so far this season, five of which have been home runs. Junior Amy Buenrostro is closely behind with 10 hits over Quincy’s first four games.

Royal

Baseball

After splitting last week’s doubleheader against Toppenish the Knights rallied with a sweep of Connell on Tuesday, winning 14-2 and 11-4 over the Eagles.

Royal scored 14 runs off of 11 hits in the first game of the doubleheader, including two-hit, two-RBI performances by sophomore Ben Jenks and junior Nolan Wright. Royal baserunners capitalized off being walked 16 times in the nightcap, winning 11-4 to improve to 4-2 this season.

Softball

The Knights improved to 5-0 after Tuesday’s doubleheader sweep of Connell, winning 11-0 in both contests. Over the weekend, Royal took down both Deer Park and Riverside, winning 6-3 and 9-5, respectively. Royal delivered 24 hits in the two games against Connell on Tuesday, including a five-hit, nine-RBI day for junior Lily Delarosa and a five-hit, four-RBI day for junior Audrey Bergeson. 

Soap Lake

Softball

Soap Lake opens its season April 9 against Ephrata.

Wahluke

Baseball

Wahluke was swept by Toppenish in Saturday’s doubleheader, losing 16-1 and 10-0 to the Wildcats. The Warriors travel to College Place for a doubleheader Friday.

Softball

A home doubleheader against Toppenish ended in two double-digit wins for Wahluke, defeating the Wildcats 18-7 and 19-9 on Saturday. Wahluke (5-3) travels to College Place for a doubleheader Friday.

Warden

Baseball

After a non-league loss to Quincy on Friday, the Cougars traveled for a doubleheader against Cle Elum-Roslyn, losing 4-0 and 7-1 to the Warriors. Warden was held to one hit in the first game, but got the bats going more in the second game. Senior Owen Cox’s solo home run in the top of the fourth inning was one of Warden’s seven hits in the second game, but the Cougars failed to generate any more runs in their 7-1 loss. 

Softball

The Cougars opened their season with a sweep of Liberty Christian on Tuesday in a non-league doubleheader, first winning 4-3 before a 14-2 win in the nightcap. Warden travels to Colfax for a doubleheader against the Bulldogs and Kittitas on Wednesday.

    Ephrata split last week’s doubleheader against East Valley (Yakima), responding from a 2-1 loss with an 8-4 win in the nightcap.
  

    ACH freshman Grace Okamoto prepares to pitch against Wellpinit during the Warrior’s softball doubleheader Tuesday.
  

    The ACH baseball team improved to 6-0 after a sweep of Wellpinit on Tuesday.