Check out what is happening with the Orcas High School softball and baseball teams so far this season.

Softball

The Viking girls softball team launched into the season with a 17-1 loss against Friday Harbor last week in a contest filled with “early season jitters” according to head coach Jason Nichols.

Emily Nichols and Tori Stuck pitched with Edie Hance catching.

“We are a young team and it showed. Mainly, we were not able to close out innings. Friday Harbor scored 12 runs on us during innings when they had two outs. We had our opportunities to score since we were walked nine times, but our hitting could not capitalize.”

Nichols noted some highlights from the initial game:

“Hance, an eighth-grader, did a good job at catcher controlling and blocking pitches. Katie Minnis hit a double and Hance and Kilee Rogers hit singles.”

“We had our errors but we have some youth on the infield that will improve. The team that played that day is not who we are, and we plan to prove it against our next opponent, Concrete.”

Baseball

The Vikings baseball team opened up the season with a 1-0 loss to Friday Harbor, but to head coach Jim Passer, this did not feel like a loss.

“We played well, and Miles Harlow pitched a heck of a game keeping the Wolverines off balance, and he only had four walks. Defensively, we played well  giving up their only score, an unearned run, which was a ball lost in the sun. We had our chances to score with a couple guys on base a few times, but we just couldn’t get them across.”

We had four hits. Kellen Maier, who as freshman played third base very well, had a single along with Jordan Randolph and Harlow. Pasha Bullock had a solid double. On Friday, March 27 the Vikings traveled to LaConner for a long-anticipated 2-1 win over the Braves. A quick survey of the coaches in the dugout estimated the last time the Vikings beat the Braves was 1996 or 1997.

Passer said, “Pasha Bullock had a strong pitching performance with seven strikeouts and just a couple walks. Hitting was better with Kyle Masters having a big day going three for three, Vanya  and Pasha Bullock both going two for four and Miles Harlow and Mackie Cardinell hitting back-to-back singles to drive in our runs.”

Asked about the big win, Passer was matter-of-fact about it. “LaConner is a good team. It was a good victory, but our mentality was we went over there expecting to win, so to the coaches it was not a shock.”

The Vikings gear up for Cedar Park Christian this week.