Two routs kickstart Lady Vikings' season

MOSES LAKE - Maybe Gray's Harbor CC should transpose the first two words in their name after playing the Big Bend Lady Vikings' softball team on Saturday at Lauzier Fields.

That's because all they could go was harbor a gray mood following two strong Big Bend wins as the hosts swept the teams' season opening doubleheader 10-2 and 11-3 in two mercy wins.

Not a bad start for a program trying to keep moving forward in building a winner.

"It was a great day to be outside and get the season going," Big Bend head coach Jeremy Iverson said. "The kids were ready to play and ready to apply all their hard work to actual game situations which resulted in a couple of wins."

In the opener, Big Bend (2-0) broke out to a 4-0 lead after the first two innings and then finished off proceedings with a five-run fifth to claim the eight-run mercy-rule win.

Erika Hanson earned the win with four innings pitched while striking out five.

Big Bend had 13 hits in that contest and then 11 in the nightcap which they won behind a seven-run fourth inning to break open a 2-2 game. They would enforce the mercy rule with two game-ending runs in the sixth inning.

Freshman Shanel McCahsland won from the mound, pitching five innings and striking out 11.  She gave up four hits and two earned runs.

Defensively Big Bend only committed one error over 11 innings.

Big Bend's big bats included Moses Lake High School graduate Bailey Ritchie (6-for-7, two homeruns, two RBI, three runs scored), Brittney Miller (4-for-7, an RBI, two runs), Ali Hirschi (4-for-6, 2 RBI, four runs), and Brooke Vincent (3-for-5, 3 RBI, three runs).

"It was fun to see Bailey, a local kid to have such a great start in our season opener here in town," Iverson said. "Brittney caught both games which we will expect her to do all year long and Ali played well down on firstbase as well."

Tomorrow the Lady Vikings host Walla Walla University with a scheduled 2 p.m. first pitch.

"We will need to continue to work hard and get better every day," Iverson said. "We need to also find more ways to stay focused at all time."