As if the Rochester Warriors didn’t have enough dynamic bats in their lineup, in steps freshman Charlie Culp.
She logged the first three-hit, four-RBI game of her young career as the Warriors rocked Kalama 19-3 in five innings at Recreation Park in Chehalis Friday night.
Culp, who drove in one run in each of her first three varsity games, walked on a seven-pitch at-bat in her first plate appearance against the Chinooks before rattling off three straight RBI doubles over her following three at-bats. In her last three at-bats, she saw five pitches and sent three of them into the outfield for a trifecta of two-baggers.
“I was adjusting to some of the pitches I saw from the last couple of games,” Culp said of her big day. “It was easier, and we were all getting good at-bats.”
The Warriors’ bats have been white hot since their two-week, weather-induced hiatus at the start of the season, bringing 60 runs across home plate in just 12 innings of work. Head coach Joni Lancaster said Culp has fit right into an already-explosive lineup, one that saw its top four hitters record a combined 11 hits and 13 RBIs Friday.
“We’ve just focused a lot of practice on hitting. We focus a lot in practice on knowing our pitch and looking for our pitch, and when we get it, take it,” she said. “I think it’s really paying off.”
With Leah Hartley in the circle for the Warriors, Kalama jumped in front first on an error by shortstop Mckenna Vassar to score the game’s first run. Two runners in scoring position with no outs was not a problem for Hartley, who settled in and picked up the final three outs.
Cheyenne Justice got things started for Rochester offensively in the bottom of the first with an infield double, and she scored the tying run on a Layna Demers sacrifice fly.
The Chinooks answered with a two-out RBI double in the second to bring two runners across.
For the second straight inning, Rochester led off with a double as Arissa LeBaron roped a double to left field. Justice brought her home via an RBI single, and Culp drove the first pitch she saw into center field to score the tying run.
On the very next pitch, Vassar sent another line drive to center to send another run home, and Demers capped off the rally with a two-run double.
Rochester remained aggressive at the plate in the third, making contact with nearly every pitch. Justice tacked on her second RBI single of the night, and Culp tallied her second run-scoring double to extend the lead to 8-3. Vassar blew the game open by way of a two-run single, and Hailey Boyd followed it up on a two-run double.
A seven-run fourth inning, which included the fourth RBI of the night for both Culp and Demers, sent the Warriors home happy with their third straight blowout win. Culp finished 3-3 with three runs scored and a walk, and Vassar and Justice each smacked three hits and drove in three and four runs, respectively.
“We’re gonna put up a lot of big numbers like we have been this week. Our top four hitters…there’s so much power behind them. They don’t even have to hit the bat at 100% and it’s still gonna go,” Lancaster said.
After allowing three runs in the first two frames, Hartley settled in nicely in the circle. She struck out four and allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits and walked only one batter. Hartley retired seven of her final nine batters faced, and the only two base runners reached due to infield errors.
“She just battled. That’s Leah; she’s always going to battle. She doesn’t let anything really get to her too much,” Lancaster said. “She was throwing outs, but we just weren’t making them at the beginning of the game.”
The Warriors (3-1) will square off with Hoquiam at home on Monday at 4 p.m., and the two EvCo will meet again in Hoquiam on Thursday at 6 p.m.
