by Marty Zier

Sports contributor

The Lady Vikings had a shaky start to their season, losing to La Conner 17-5 and then 12-0 to Friday Harbor.

Facing two of the best teams in the league, head coach Jason Nichols knew his team’s challenges.

“In the La Conner game on April 11, pitching was an issue – as I thought it might be. Our defense didn’t have many chances to make plays due to many walks. It was the first game of the season so there were some nerves. We did have a highlight for the day: Jessie Nichols hit her first homer of the season.”

The Vikings had the same difficulty in the Friday Harbor game on April 14.

“Pitching was again the issue in the game against the Wolverines,” said Nichols. “Alyssa Johns came in and pitched after Jessie Nichols couldn’t get out of the first inning and pitched well the rest of the game. Friday Harbor is probably the best team in our league this year. The girls had a good attitude through both games. We’re going to experience some growing pains this season. The highlight in this game was Brittney Kerns collecting her first base hit of her career after a strong single up the middle.”

The Vikings face a good Concrete Lion team in a doubleheader at Buck Park April 21 in what Nichols predicts will be “another tough match up.”

The Vikings and Darrington remain winless in the league behind La Conner at 3-1, Friday Harbor 2-0 and Concrete at 1-1.

The Viking baseball team had a lopsided week with games against La Conner and Friday Harbor.

On April 11, the Vikings dominated the La Conner Braves, taking both games of a doubleheader, 16-3 and 14-4, but reversed the outcome with two losses to the Friday Harbor Wolverines, 16-1 and 16-6, on April 14.

The Vikings enter the second week of the season 3-2 in the league behind Friday Harbor at 4-0 but ahead of La Conner at 2-3, Concrete 1-2 and Darrington at 0-3.

The Orcas rowing team traveled to Lake Stevens on April 8 for the Spring Sprints Regatta. The Orcas rowers faced competition from Lake Stevens, Eastside Prep, North Cascades, Olympic Peninsula, Renton and Duwamish rowing.

Head coach Tina Brown was very pleased with the overall results of the team and submitted the following results: Charlie Holmes finished first the Men’s 1x Heat 1 while Tim Jenson finished second in Heat 2. Luke Pietsch finished first in the Men’s Lightweight 1x. Finishing up the men’s races was Ciaran O’Neill finishing first in the Men’s Novice 1x. In the women’s races, Joie Zier and Anneke Fleming finished first in the Women’s 2x while Olivia Brunner-Gaydos and Devon Mann finished second. Zier stroked the Women’s 4x- to first place with Brunner-Gaydos, Mann and Fleming. In the Women’s Novice 2x Heat 1, Lindsay Simpson and Haley Moss finished second while Izie Janecek and Sofia Fleming finished 5th. Arla Sutton and Mia Smith finished 4th in Heat 2. Orcas also finished 1st and 2nd in the Women’s Novice 4x+.

The Orcas rowers travel next weekend to the Covered Bridge Regatta at Dexter Lake in Eugene, Oregon.