Moses Lake softball takes 3 for 3 in weekend matchups
MOSES LAKE — Over the weekend, the Moses Lake High School fastpitch softball team took three victories as they got started with the spring season.
Moses Lake took on Eisenhower High School in a doubleheader Friday and University High School Saturday.
During game one on Friday, Morgan Ross threw a gem against the visiting Eisenhower Cadets, allowing only one hit in five innings. Moses Lake was never threatened in the game as they scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning and cruised to victory, beating the Cadets 10-0.
Ross showed her pitching skills with five innings pitched, one hit, two walks and 11 strikeouts. Players collecting multiple hits were Reagan Hofheins, 2-3, three runs batted in; Jazlynn Torres, 3-3, four RBIs and Kendall Reffett, 2-3 and one RBI. Katelyn Kriete also collected two RBIs with a home run in the third inning.
Later that afternoon, in game two, Paige Richardson threw a no-hitter in five innings, beating the Cadets 22-0. Richardson struck out 10 hitters and didn’t allow a single walk in the contest. The bats continued to stay hot as the Cadets were overmatched from the beginning, with Moses Lake scoring seven runs in the first inning and never looking back. The Moses Lake offense had 18 hits to go along with six walks. Every Moses Lake batter reached base safely, letting coach Mike Hofheins empty his bench and get every player an at-bat.
Saturday, Moses Lake took on and beat University High School 4-2.
Moses Lake's pitching again proved to be too much for an opponent, as the University Titans had a hard time getting going against the Moses Lake pitching staff.
Morgan Ross got the start and held the Titans to one run through the fifth inning by keeping the Titan offense off balance. The Moses Lake offense was held to one run through three innings but started to open it up by scoring one run in the fourth and two in the fifth, putting some cushion between themselves and University.
Raegen Hofheins got the scoring going in the fifth inning with a bunt and was able to advance to third base on a throwing error. Ali Stanley was able to bring Hofheins across the plate with a single directed to center field and Stanley would come in to score two batters later with a sacrifice fly by Katelyn Kriete. With the score 4-1, Richardson relieved Ross in the pitching circle and closed out the game 4-2, collecting the save. Ross and Richardson combined to pitch seven innings, allowing eight hits and two runs and striking out eight Titan batters.
Mike Hofheins, Moses Lake softball head coach, said that looking at the teams in the Big 9 League this year, he isn’t quite sure what to expect, but that if he had to predict who would take the league, he thinks it is a three-team race between Moses Lake, Eastmont and West Valley.
Hofheins also said that he has a really young team this season, but he thinks they have a lot of raw talent.
Moses Lake is now 5-1 overall and will travel to Eastmont High School Friday for an important early season league matchup which could help decide the Big 9 regular season champions. The first game of the doubleheader starts at 4 p.m. with the second starting at 6 p.m.
Hofheins said that while this season the reference percentage index, a statistical system used to rank teams comparatively, doesn't affect league standings. Rather, it comes into play at the state tournament. RPI is used as a factor to seed the state tournament so low-seeded teams would go up against high seeds in the first rounds.
“That’s why we scheduled a lot of these non-league games that we have on our schedule to try to build our RPI and hopefully put us in a good matchup – not to put the cart before the horse; we’ve got to qualify for the state tournament first,” said Hofheins.
Rebecca Pettingill can be reached via email at rpettingill@columbiabasinherald.com.
