VANCOUVER — Roni Braun’s eighth-inning two-run home run — her second of the game — propelled W.F. West to a 9-3 win over host Columbia River in nonleague action here Monday.
The Bearcats trailed the Chieftains 3-0 going into the seventh inning, when Braun hit a three-run homer to level the game.
W.F. West kept the momentum going in the extra inning, as the Bearcats scored six runs off of four hits, including Braun’s second dinger.
Kindra Davis finished 3 for 4 with a pair of doubles for W.F. West. Ashlee Vadala was 2 for 4 with a double.
The Bearcats gave up one run apiece in the first, third and fifth innings.
“Columbia River likes to run. They have incredible team speed,” W.F. West coach Mike Keen said. “They forced a couple errors early on squeeze plays. Then we settled down got used to it and played errorless defense after the second inning.”
The Bearcats (16-0, 6-0 in Evergreen 2A Conference) host Prairie on Wednesday.
Centralia Crushes Fort Vancouver
Centralia scored 19 runs combined in the third and fourth innings to earn a 23-3 win in a shortened five-inning nonleague softball contest on Monday at Fort Borst Park in Centralia.
The Tigers started the game with four runs in the first inning, but Fort Vancouver answered in the top of the third inning with three runs to cut the lead to 4-3.
Centralia’s bats heated up in the third inning, scoring seven runs, followed by 12 runs in the fourth to end the game in five innings.
McKenna Smith was 3 for 5 with a two-run home run, a double and four runs. Melissa Zion was 2 for 3 with a two-run home run and four RBIs, and Payton Pocklington was 4 for 5 at the plate with a solo home run, a double, four runs and three RBIs. Every batter in the starting lineup had a hit.
“We jumped out early, they got three in the third and we answered,” Centralia coach Mike McDonald said. “They came back and we made some adjustments and came up big in the fourth, the bats came alive, it was a full team effort.”
Tayler Bailey and Aspen Lilly each took the mound, allowing just three runs on four hits combined in the win.
“Defensively, we played well and our pitchers did a good job,” McDonald said. “We made the routine plays and didn’t hurt ourselves. When you do that, things work out pretty well for you. I was pleased overall, we played a fairly complete ball game. It’s nice to get this time of year.”
Centralia (2-13, 1-5 league) travels to Kelso for a nonleague contest on Wednesday.
