Taking an upset victory at its home complex, the Centralia College softball team forced a split with rival Lower Columbia Tuesday afternoon, after Ava Bush hit a walk-off to win the first game, 4-3, before dropping the second contest 13-11.
The Trailblazers fell behind early in the first game, and trailed by a run heading into the bottom of the final seventh frame.
After a Centralia baserunner reached safely on an error to start the game, Sydney Yates knocked in the tying run on a single line drive to right field. Zoe Miller hit another single to put Yates into scoring position at second, and Bush hit a hard ground ball to allow Yates to score from second, and win, 4-3.
In the circle, Lexi Walker pitched a complete game, allowing just six hits and letting in three runs, with two earned, with one strikeout.
In the second game, a 13-11 loss, the Blazers were the ones to blow the late lead. Thanks to some powerful bats, CC took an 11-10 leading heading into the seventh, peppering 13 hits across the field.
But a disastrous seventh, that saw the Red Devils tack on four runs and take the lead for good, spelled doom when the Blazers couldn’t respond with any runs in the bottom of the final inning.
Kylie Baker went 3 for 3 at the leadoff spot in the second game with three runs scored and a walk drawn, and Kat Tuller went 2 for 4 with three runs scored and an RBI knock.
The Blazers take on Southwestern Oregon on the road next on Saturday in another doubleheader.
