Big inning helps Chiefs put away Cadets

MOSES LAKE — Michelle Turner rounded the bases with a grin from ear to ear and stamped home plate with both feet for extra emphasis.

Turner's lead-off home run in the fourth inning was contagious as sluggers Brooklyn Bailey and Brooke Richardson followed suit with consecutive jacks. The power surge highlighted a seven-run frame and Moses Lake put away Eisenhower 16-5 in six innings.

“After seeing us all get nice hits it kind of just boosted everyone up and we all were cheering everyone on,” Turner said. “It's something that we should just keep on doing.”

Eisenhower did not go quietly.

Actually, the Cadets took advantage of some fielding miscues and led 3-2 after the top of the third inning. It was Moses Lake's first deficit since a loss to West Valley on March 27.

However, it did not take long for Moses Lake (12-1, 12-3) to regain its lead.

Gina Skinner led off the third inning with a walk, stole second base and scored on a throwing error to tie the game. Richardson recorded one of her six RBI on a double and Kaylee Valdez drove in a run on a fielder's choice.

“They weren't going to roll over for us,” head coach Mike Hofheins said. “We punched first and they had a counter-punch and we didn't just keeping taking it. We punched back a few times and we kind of took the momentum and kept it, you know what I mean?”

The Chiefs struck for seven more runs in the fourth inning.

Turner, Bailey and Richardson all went deep. For Richardson, it was her fourth game in a row with a home run; Bailey also homered for the fourth time in the last four games.

“That's just a dagger for the opponent and it's huge for us,” Hofheins said. “They just go up there looking to hit the ball hard and it carries. We're going to need that as we progress, for sure.”

To go along with the three solo shots, Paige Valdez hit a two-run single and Turner returned to the plate to hit an RBI single.

“She's (Turner) just a pesky little player,” Hofheins said. “She just gets stuff done.”

Eisenhower threatened to extend the game with runners on the corners in the sixth inning, but starter Savannah Ashley retired the side in what Hofheins described as a “gutsy” performance.

With the bases loaded in the sixth, Richardson delivered a walk-off single that scored two runs.

“We're reloading, not rebuilding and we're so used to keeping it all together and knowing that we're going to do this and we're going to fight and we're going to win,” Turner said.

Box score

Highlights:

• Richardson 5x5, 3 R, 6 RBI, HR;
• Turner 2 R, 2 RBI, HR;
• Bailey 2 R, 2 RBI, HR;
• Rios 2 RBI;
• Kaylee Valdez 1 RBI;
• Paige Valdez 2 RBI