A matchup between two of the best pitchers in the area lived up to the billing as Tumwater’s Ella Ferguson fired a complete game with 12 strikeouts in aiding a 2-1 triumph over Rochester on Tuesday night in an Evergreen Conference tussle.
Ferguson and Warriors right-hander Layna Demers matched zeroes through 3.5 innings. The latter struck out seven in six innings of work, allowing six hits and one earned run.
Tumwater struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Zoe Fields laced a single and Rochester struggled to field the ball cleanly and Marissa La Praim scored on an error. On a 3-0 count in the sixth, Jaime Haase unloaded on a pitch that cleared the left field fence for a solo home run to double the cushion in the sixth.
The Warriors responded with their backs against the wall in the seventh. After back-to-back singles, Demers roped an RBI double that cut the margin in half and put runners on second and third with no outs.
Ferguson got out of the jam with a strikeout, a 1-2 putout on a bunt to keep the lead and the final strikeout to keep the Thunderbirds perfect in the league. La Praim led their offense with two hits as they wait until Friday to face Rochester again.
Demers notched two hits, both of them doubles, for the Warriors. They turn around and host W.F. West on Wednesday.
