County softball teams book mixed results in early season competition

St. John/Endicott girls Tuesday moved their record to 2-1 on the season with a 14-4 win over Tekoa/Oakesdale/Rosalia in a league meet at St. John. The Eagles rolled up 10 hits with Haley Reiber pegging a two-run homer in the fifth inning to put the lead over 10.

Kelli Van Lith started for the Eagles. She struck out six, allowed just two hits and walked four. Tallan Smith finished the last inning and protected the lead.

Gretchen Van Lith had a 3-4 day at the plate. Alli Winters had two hits with a double.

Briann Maley pitched for TOR.

The league win came after the Eagles last Tuesday split with the Lind/Ritzville Broncos at Ritzville. St. John/Endicott won the opener 18-11, and the Broncos took the second game 12-8.

TEKOA/OAKESDALE/ROSALIA went to St. John Tuesday after taking two wins Saturday on their home field at Tekoa over Liberty Christian. Briann Maley held the Patriots to one hit in the second game on the way to a 10-0 shutout.

TOR had eight hits in the shutout with Kiah Madison tagging a double and triple. Briann Maley also had a double.

In the opener, the Pats took an early lead with four runs in the first inning, but TOR scored seven runs in each of the next two innings on the way to a 16-6 win. TOR totaled 11 hits with Maley, Madison, and Megan Brown each tagging a triple.

LaCROSSE/WASHTUCNA’s new coach this year is Rosalia grad Kelli Koppel Broeckel. She takes over the head coaching job from long-time Tigercat Coach Brian Koller who departed with his daughter, Haylee Koller, LW’s main pitcher, when they moved to the family ranch at Pomeroy.

Coach Broeckel said senior Kirsten Stubbs, who had about two innings of pitching last year, is the lone T-cat pitcher with any slinging experience.

Kirsten proved up last Tuesday in the season opener when she struck out nine TOR batters on the way to a 13-11 win. She also homered and had two RBIs.

Chelsea McKay had three RBIs.

“We just picked up the RBIs in that game, and we played great defense,” Coach Broeckel said.

Briann Maley fanned just one T-cat for TOR in taking the loss.

LaCrosse/Washtucna fell to 1-1 on the season when they were hammered 18-8 Tuesday by Lind/Ritzville. The Tigercats gave up 18 walks in the game.

One bright spot for the Tigercats was a 3-4 day at the plate posted by Kahlotus eighth grader LeAnn Blauert who finished with three RBIs.

COLTON girls Saturday booked a 1-2 run in the Lewiston tournament. The Wildcats finished the run with a 22-6 crunch of Timberlake with 20 hits over five innings.

Kelsey Moser pitched a nine-hitter for the win, and Payton Meyer had four hits.

The Wildcats started with a 4-1 loss to Clarkston in a close battle. Bantam Riley Swanson threw a two-hitter at the Colton lineup. Moser also threw a two hitter.

Second round saw Lakeland of Rathdrum peg a 12-2 win over the Wildcats. Megan Grassel topped Colton’s four hits with a homer.