Othello avenges last year's defeat

Jenna Rosenburg hits two run double to clinch win for the Huskies

MOSES LAKE — Michelle Wheeler was supposed to shutdown West Valley in the final two innings. But trouble met the freshman pitcher in the top of the seventh and after a talk from head coach Rudy Ochoa to trust in her defense, Rachel Mohs came through with a dig on a Lindsay Jones' single to center field to throw out Kristina Doty at the plate to preserve the win at 4-1 at Othello High School Thursday.

Oddly enough, the talk from Ochoa was to let the infield do the job, but it was the outfield that came through in the clutch.

"She made too nice catches in a row there," Ochoa said about Mohs' performance in center field.

Before Wheeler was given an opportunity to pick up the save, freshman pitcher Nina Gonzales pitched four innings of one-run softball, allowing four hits in the win. After Gonzales gave up a RBI double to the Rams' Casey Hester in the second inning, she pitched through bases loaded in the third, then sat down West Valley's lineup in order in the fourth to keep Othello alive in the game.

"She did an excellent job of moving the ball around," Ochoa said of Gonzales' performance on the mound.

But the win over the Rams had more significance after the Huskies lost 3-2 last year off a walk off double to clinch the win for West Valley. Beating the Rams Thursday, gave Ochoa hope that Othello was where they needed to be at this point in the season.

"Everything is working really well," Ochoa added.

Othello struggled against West Valley's pitcher Doty through the first two innings, then found life in the third when Mandy Garza got a single off the Rams' pitcher. Donna Franco reached base on a fielder's choice and Hannah Mohs reached base on a hot shot down the third baseline. Rosenburg followed with a two-run double to center field to put Othello up 2-1.

In the sixth, West Valley left the potential tying run on second with two out, but couldn't convert on the opportunity. In the bottom of the same inning, the Huskies took advantage of a wild pitch and a throwing error to take a 4-1 lead.

Wheeler walked two batters in the top of the seventh with two outs and the tying run at the plate, when Jones hit a single to center field, only for Doty to be thrown out at the plate for the final out of the game.

"That is what we were hoping for," Ochoa said of the outcome, adding later: "It was nice to come back and beat them this year."