Moses Lake rallies to sweep Wenatchee

The bats came alive for the Moses Lake softball team, who combined for 20 hits in the doubleheader against Wenatchee on Tuesday.

Mattie Zayas led the Chiefs in the two wins, combining for 5-for-7 batting and three RBIs and leading Moses Lake to a 5-1 win in game one and a 10-4 win in game two. Zayas also filled in at the catcher position at the start of the first game due to injury to starting catcher Lauren Sutton.

"We have just been hitting, hitting and hitting all day in practice," Moses Lake head coach Alan Coulter said. "We took away the pitching machine and have been doing live pitching the last few weeks and we have been hitting the ball well."

Heather Coulter pitched both games, allowing five runs, four earned, in the two complete games and striking out a total of 17 Panthers. Heather improved to 6-2 in league with 72 strike outs on the season and an ERA of 1.49.

Moses Lake improved to 7-3 on the season with a young roster that has only three seniors and two freshmen on the team. Freshmen Shaylane Hunter and Kirstin Gamboa combined for two RBIs in game one and Hunter knocked in two RBIs in game two for the Chiefs.

"We have a young bunch out here and you look out there and we have two starting freshmen and to be where we are in the league is great," Alan Coulter said.

Wenatchee's Jade Fulbright scored the only run for the Panthers in the first inning of game one, reaching base on an infield single to the shortstop, advancing to second base on a wild pitch and third base on a throwing error and scored on another wild pitch.

Moses Lake answered in the bottom of the same inning with five straight runs. Heather Coulter, Ashley Haight, Hunter, Zayas and Kirstin Gamboa all drove in runs in the inning.

Moses Lake threatened again in the bottom of the fifth inning with bases loaded and two outs, but Wenatchee's pitcher Jamie Shaw got Hunter and Zayas to fly out to center field.

"We need to piece them together a little bit, but I am pleased with how well we are hitting the ball," Alan Coulter said about their missed runs opportunity.

Moses Lake went on to win game one, 5-1.

Fulbright started the second game with a lead off single to the shortstop again and came around to score on an error by the third baseman. Jessie Carson drove in the second run of the game for the Panthers off a single to right field.

The Chiefs answered in the third with a four run inning. Heather Coulter drove in her second run of the doubleheader, followed by RBIs from Haight, Hunter and Zayas.

Moses Lake added another run in the fourth, fifth and four runs in the sixth to take a 10-2 lead. Wenatchee loaded the bases in the top of the seventh inning and Jamie Gere drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly ball to right field to score Christa Franz. Ashley Reeves drove in the second run of the inning.

Heather Coulter got Brenda Johnson to line out to Shelly McCuistion at first base to end the inning with a 10-4 win and a sweep in the doubleheader.

With the sweep of Wenatchee and Davis in the last two doubleheaders and Eisenhower's sweep of Kennewick on Tuesday put Moses Lake in third place in the Big Nine behind Richland (11-0) and Pasco (9-0).

"We've gelled a little bit more and are more of a unit," Alan Coulter said. "The kids are more focused at the task at hand than we were in the past."

Warden 6, White Swan 3

Katie Jensen struck out nine batters and allowed only four hits as Warden knocked off White Swan 6-3 on Tuesday.

Stacey Ruge handed Warden the lead with a suicide squeeze play to score Jensen. Sierra Kisler finished the game batting 3-for-4 with a run scored.

"We moved runners around the best we could and put pressure on the defense," Warden head coach Wes Richins said.

The Cougars improved to 6-3 on the season and finish out its non league schedule against Zillah on Thursday.