During a long spring break in Tuscon, Ariz., the Logger softball team played two games on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in The Grand Canyon State.
First the Loggers took on the Eagles from the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse. The Eagles sprinted out to an early lead, earning four runs in a little over two innings.
Kayla Andrus (Kent, Wash.) was first on base for the Logger comeback with a single straight out to right field. Amber Popovich (Miliani, Hawaii) propelled Andrus into scoring position with a sacrificial bunt. Haley Gray was next up and pushed the envelope for the Loggers with a single to center field that also put Andrus onto third base.
Erica Gott (Lynwood, Wash.) drove home both runners to net the Loggers their first two runs of the game. Lisa Colombo (Los Gatos, Calif.) rocketed a double down the right field line putting herself at second base and Gott to third base. Marissa Jeffers (Issaquah, Wash.) forced an error out of the Eagles second basewoman that allowed Gott and Colombo to score, tying the game at four runs apiece.
Unfortunately the Loggers’ comeback was not enough as the Eagles would go on to score their game-winning run in the sixth inning, making the final score 5-4 in favor of the Eagles.
The second game down south saw the Loggers battling against the University of Dubuque Spartans. The Loggers faced down the need for another comeback, as they were two runs behind at the top of the sixth inning. Colombo led the charge for the Loggers with a double to right-center field. Bailee Larson (Tacoma, Wash.) brought Colombo in to score when she took advantage of an error by the Spartan center-fielder. Jeffers would follow suit, this time capitalizing on an error by the shortstop to bring Larson in to score and tie the ball game at four runs a piece. Pitcher Jaci Young (Aiea, Hawaii) held off the Spartans from scoring before the Loggers put the game away in the seventh inning. Jessica Gott (Lynwood, Wash.) and Young led the seventh each with a single and Erica Gott advanced the two runners further with a sacrificial bunt.
Jessica Gott and Young both came in to score with Andrus’ sac fly that caused an error from the Spartan shortstop.
The Loggers would hold the Spartans scoreless for the last two innings, ending the game in a win for the Loggers.
After a day of rest, the Loggers faced off against Central College. The day off may not have been so helpful for the Loggers as the Central College Dutch brushed them aside in a 7-3 victory.
The Loggers were back at it later in the afternoon, this time against the Denison University Big Red. Young was the hero of this game, yielding only one run in the entire game.
The game was low scoring with the Loggers needing some kind of offense as they were down by one run going into the sixth inning.
Erica Gott smacked a double out to left-center field and Colombo helped her to third with a sac bunt. Kristi Nagamine (Honolulu, Hawaii) reached first base on a fielder’s choice and immediately stole second base while the fielders were still distracted.
Jeffers was up next and her center-field single was enough to bring Nagamine and Erica Gott home to give the Loggers the 2-1 lead and eventually the win.
There was no rest for the weary Loggers at the end of a sixth day spring break tournament.
The final two games kicked off with the Dickinson State University Blue Hawks. The Loggers came bursting out of the gates, taking a three-run lead before the end of the first inning. Andrus scored the first of three with a solo home run and Amanda Fehr (Las Vegas, Nev.) knocked in a two-run single. The Blue Hawks were not so likely beaten as they scored nine unanswered runs to beat the Loggers 9-3.
Battered and tired, the Loggers took the field for their last game of the tournament against the St. Joseph’s College Bears.
The Loggers came out of the gates even quicker than their earlier game, scoring seven runs in the first inning.
Colombo was the first to make a mark on proceedings as her single brought Gott home for the first Logger score.
Nagamine followed Colombo’s lead with a single that brought Fehr in to score and loaded the bases. Paige Schaffer (Ketchikan, Alaska) put the Loggers out of striking distance, as her home run brought in Larson, Nagamine and Colombo making the Logger lead 6-1.
The hits did not stop there as Gott’s single brought home Jessica Shaw (Kelso, Wash.).
Shaw was the last of the Loggers with action on the night as her double brought home Larson and Schaffer to seal the 11-3 Logger victory.
