Team effort key as Bulldogs top Eagles

SPOKANE — An entire team effort was needed for the Bulldogs, who plated five runs in the final two frames to earn a 6-3 win over West Valley of the Great Northern League in nonleague softball Friday at West Valley High School.

Tanis Davis got the rare start for the Bulldogs (2-0), posting two hitless shutout innings before normal starter Bri Baldree took over a scoreless game in the third inning.

The game was tight after the Eagles (1-3) scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. The Bulldogs answered by hanging a three-spot in the top of the sixth, with Naomi Bradley delivering the go-ahead RBI with a double.

“They didn’t get down,” praised Bulldogs head coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams. “They came back and pounded with the bats and went up three and never relented the rest of the game. They were going to win.”

Sam Holland continues to emerge as a dangerous bat in the middle of the order, scalding two doubles, while Zoe Speelmon was on base all game with three singles. Kenzie Crabb scored twice and Kaitlan Ward added a pair of RBIs in the balanced effort.

Baldree struck out six in her five innings of work, with a new varsity catcher getting some work as Ember Dewey caught the entire game. Hawkins-Williams called it a real team effort.

“Our batters one through nine contributed with RBIs, runs and sacrifice bunts when we needed them most,” described the coach. “The bottom of the lineup was phenomenal.”

Sandpoint will get back to work after spring break with a big 4A Inland Empire League doubleheader at Moscow on Monday, April 10.

Sandpoint 001 023 0 — 6 8 2

West Valley 001 020 0 — 3 7 0

Tanis Davis, Bri Baldree (3) and Ember Dewey. W — Baldree (2-0).

HITS: Spt — Ward, Holland 2, Speelmon 3, Bradley 2. 2B — Holland 2, Bradley.

n Barajas homers as JV falls 10-4

Jaycie Irish pitched to catcher Brooklen Steiger for most of the game, striking out two, and Aidan Webster came in and got a strike out to get us out of the 5th inning.

The Bulldogs scored in the first inning with a double by Madisyn Kucherry and a base hit by Steiger, and then Abigail Hendricks had an RBI on a fielder’s choice.

The pitchers worked hard and Steiger was strong behind the plate. The Bulldogs fought back in the top of the 7th inning with a single from Ashley Authier and a home run from Zoey Barajas. The home run was followed up by singles from Kucherry, Steiger and Hendricks to load the bases, but they were left stranded to end the game.