Nevaeh Witherspoon strikes out 16 in JV softball's 14-5 win

Sophomore Nevaeh Witherspoon struck out 16 batters during a JV softball game Monday.

That’s not a typo.

“Nevaeh had a great outing and really worked hard,” Sandpoint JV softball coach Leah Platt said. “I’m very proud of all of them for really meshing as a team.”

Platt usually platoons her pitchers during her games, but as soon as Witherspoon found her rhythm in the dish against West Valley, Platt made the decision to keep her in the game.

That decision paid off. While Witherspoon pitched five scoreless innings, her sixth-inning surge might have been the most impressive. After allowing a lead-off single, the sophomore struck out the next three batters on 13 pitches.

Witherspoon’s final line was 16 Ks, three hits and seven walks in seven innings of work. She also went 1-2 at the plate and scored twice.

Her outing sparked the Sandpoint offense, which saw the Bulldogs notch a dozen hits with 10 different players record a hit.

After West Valley took a 4-3 lead through two innings, Sandpoint’s five-run third inning put the Eagles away for good.

The Bulldogs play Lake City for a doubleheader today at 2:30 p.m.

Sandpoint 305 012 3 — 14 12 0

West Valley 400 100 0 — 5 3 2

W — Witherspoon, 16. L — Cox, 4.

HITS: Sandpoint — Smith, Davis 2, Dredge, Witherspoon, Twinstra, Brackett, Padilla. 2B — Gammon, Garman, Laine 2. West Valley — Palmer 2, Stevens.