Cessna's hitting, Davis' pitching help Sandpoint sweep Moscow

Sophomore Riley Cessna’s three-hit game helped Sandpoint come back to beat Moscow 9-7 in the first game of the doubleheader, then senior Tanis Davis pitched her first-career shutout in the second to complete the sweep on Friday afternoon.

“The team came out slow again in the first inning today and had to work hard to come back,” Sandpoint head coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams said. “This team has a great ability to stay positive and continue to work hard no matter the score. They earned these wins.”

Despite kicking off the doubleheader with three rocky innings, the Bulldogs found their rhythm on defense and in the dish to shut out Moscow for the next 11 innings of play. No players were as crucial to this defensive resurgence than shortstop Izzo Edwards, second baseman Riley Cessna and first baseman Natalie Petit, all of whom helped turned two double plays during the first game. Edwards helped turn two to close the top of the second inning, which helped Sandpoint gain momentum for a four-run bottom of the inning. Then with two on and nobody out in the top of the fifth, Cessna’s heads-up fielding dashed Moscow’s comeback hopes.

“Riley established herself as a consistent threat in the batter’s box,” Hawkins-Williams said. “She is also playing solid defense for us.”

Sandpoint’s offense clicked throughout the series. The, while also baiting Dreesmann into issuing five walks in her final three innings.

The Bulldogs didn’t slow down in the second game. Tanis Davis put the clamps down on Moscow’s offense and gave up merely two hits in her first career shutout.

Meanwhile, the offense hammered in three extra-base hits — courtesy of Davis, Petit and Cresanna Authier — while baiting Moscow’s pitchers into issuing 10 walks.

“I’m very proud of this group of young women,” Hawkins-Williams said. “It feels amazing to have two league wins under our belt.”

Sandpoint (2-4, 2-0 IEL) hosts Lakeland for a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 23. The first game starts at 3 p.m.

Game 1

Moscow 304 000 0 — 7 11 1

Sandpoint 140 301 x — 9 8 3

W — Irish (1-3), SV: Davis. L — Dreesmann

HITS: Moscow — Fleischman 3, Dreesmann 3, Tann 2, Sparks, 2B — Smith, Verlin. Sandpoint — Cessna 2, Loutzenhiser, Steiger, Petit, Davis. 2B — Davis. 3B — Cessna.

Game 2

Moscow 000 000 0 — 0 2 1

Sandpoint 106 013 x — 11 7 1

W — Davis (1-2). L — Sparks

HITS: Moscow — Carscallen, Fleischman. Sandpoint — Authier, Steiger, Dewey, Irish. 2B — Authier, Davis, Petit.