Lady Kodiaks softball splits home doubleheader

The Cascade High School softball team split a nonleague doubleheader against Mount Baker in their home opener on April 5.

The Lady Kodiaks edged Mount Baker, 3-2 in game one, then endured a 13-8 loss in the nightcap.

In game one, Cascade opened with a one-run lead in the first inning and added another run in the fourth inning. Mount Baker's Hannah Pelan hit a two-run homer to tie the game at 2-2 in the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the seventh with two outs, Kaija Lovelady doubled on a 1-0 count to bring home Truh Merriman for the walk-off run.

“We had some base running mishaps that could have helped us, but we managed to get that clutch seventh inning with Truh (Merriman) scoring off that single from Kaija (Lovelady),” Head Coach Todd Gilbert added.

Coach Gilbert described the first contest between Cascade and Mount Baker as a “great game” and a “pitcher’s duel” between the two teams. Sarah Paulson, who earned the pitching win in game one, struck out 12 Mount Baker batters.

“She had a strong game and got better as it went on despite that two-run homerun in the fifth,” Gilbert added.

In game two, Cascade found themselves in a hole early on as Mount Baker had an 8-0 lead in the third inning. The Lady Kodiaks prevented the shutout after Lovelady, Renee Lambert and Kayla Bittle brought home three runners.

Cascade continued to battle with one run in the fourth inning and two in both the fifth and seventh. Madeline Schiefelbein went 3-for-5 with two RBIs to lead the Lady Kodiaks at the plate. Lovelady had a double and two RBIs.

Merriman took the loss on the mount after sharing pitching duties with Lambert.

“We just couldn’t get out of our own way,” Gilbert explained. “Mount Baker is a good team, a state contender, and we just made two many errors in the third inning to give them extra runs.”

Gilbert acknowledged that the team fought back in the later frames. As Cascade moves forward into the season, Gilbert said they will need to play with more consistency when they face good teams.

The Lady Kodiaks resume Caribou Trail League play on April 9 when they travel to Omak to play the Lady Pioneers.

“It was nice for us to get two non league games at the end of spring break, rather than have to rest (a whole week) and come back to play a league game,” Gilbert said. “I feel pretty good going into league play, we just need to worry about our own game.”

For more images from the Lady Kodiaks' doubleheader against Mount Baker, follow the link to the Image Gallery.