After a spring break hiatus, the Lady Viking softball team resumed work Tuesday against the Darrington Loggers in a doubleheader at Buck Park. The Vikings reigned victorious after a rough start.
Initial pre-game Orcas confidence eroded as the Loggers fought to a 3-2 lead in the 3rd inning. Coach Scott Harris took to the pitcher’s plate in the 4th inning to refocus his Vikings and relieve Viking pitcher Aliviah Garcia, who was struggling uncharacteristically with the strike zone.
Defensively, the Vikings responded immediately with a rocket throw from catcher Alicia Susol for an out at second base followed by a lightening quick line-drive catch by pitcher Bella Nigretto. Improved Orcas hitting followed with back to back triples by Lana Bronn and Susol, then continued in the 5th inning with RBI hits by Alena Janssen, Sofie Thixton and Bronn to help push the Orcas lead to 9-3. Frustrated with the bases loaded with Loggers and the tie runner on base in the 6th inning, Harris was forced to make his second trip to the pitcher’s mound to dial in his Vikings for the final win. It worked. Vikings ended the late-game Darrington threat to take the first game, 9 -7.
Round two of the double header was launched by catcher Susol with a booming homerun to deep left field backed up with doubles by Nigretto and Shelbi Rogers. By the third inning, Bronn, Thixton and Janssen added hits that gave Orcas a 6 to 1 lead and win, completing the double header sweep. Coach Harris said despite being rusty and a slow hitting start in the first game, “Our bats came alive and we were playing pretty good ball before spring break, so our journey is about getting back there.”
A rematch awaits the Vikings with an April 27 game in Darrington.
