Moses Lake softball defeats Wenatchee in season opener
Laurissa Martinez watches in the pitch from home plate on her way to a 3-4 day hitting against Wenatchee on Tuesday, finishing with a team-high four RBIs.
Casey McCarthy/Columbia Basin Herald
Senior Madi Olson makes the tag for an out at second base on Tuesday afternoon in the season opener against Wenatchee at MLHS.
Moses Lake freshman Morgan Ross pitches against Wenatchee in her first varsity game on Tuesday afternoon at Moses Lake High School.
The Moses Lake High School softball team opened the season Tuesday with a 12-4 win at home against rival Wenatchee High School.
The Panthers jumped in front 2-0 in the top of the first. Moses Lake trimmed the lead to one run in the bottom of the inning. The Chiefs evened the game in the bottom of the third before pouring in five runs in the fourth to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Five runs in the bottom of the sixth gave Moses Lake some breathing room.
Laurissa Martinez had a big game at the plate for the Chiefs, finishing 3 for 4, with a team-high four RBIs and two doubles. Madi Olson finished 1-4 from the plate, with a pair of RBIs, in addition to making a diving play at shortstop for the final out in the sixth.
Freshman Morgan Ross pitched for the Chiefs in her first varsity game, tossing eight strikeouts in seven innings with four runs allowed off 10 hits.
Ross said after the game she definitely had some nerves coming into her first high school game. She said she calmed down somewhat after getting a few outs.
Winning at her first start felt good, she said.
“I was really happy to get the opportunity to be there,” Ross said.
Martinez, a senior, said she believes the win will do a lot to help build confidence.
“Personally, I’m going in with shaky knees, first game of the season,” Martinez said. “But just going out there and hitting ... my team are the ones who give me confidence. I know I can do it when they’re all with me.”
Martinez said it’s crazy to think of what this team can accomplish if it can improve off of Tuesday’s performance. With seniors Ciarrah Knoll and Harley Raymond sidelined, she said it was exciting seeing younger players stepping up.
She said it feels good knowing that even after she and her fellow seniors leave the program, there’s going to be plenty of talent left.
“It’s scary at first, I know personally, but I’m so excited for them,” Martinez said.
Chiefs head coach Mike Hofheins said he was happy with freshman Morgan Ross’ performance on the mound in her first game.
“Putting a freshman in the circle, I don’t care how much experience you have, it’s nerve-racking,” Hofheins said. “She battled, she pitched well, she looked poised out there. Her teammates helped her out, so, moving forward, she’s just going to grow from there.”
While they didn’t play perfectly on defense, Hofheins said he was happy with his players’ performance on that side, especially dealing with some nasty wind. He credited his team for moving on quickly after a mistake or mishap on the field.
Moses Lake will play again on the road on Saturday against Eastmont.
