Taking an early lead before Onalaska mounted a comeback late, the Toledo softball team won its league opener in dramatic fashion Thursday evening at home, defeating the Loggers on a walk-off wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh, 6-5.
Though the Loggers struck first in the opening inning — with Taylor Babb smacking an RBI single to score Desi Smith — the Riverhawks went on a 5-0 run through the fifth inning from there, highlighted by Quyn Norberg’s inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the first that scored two.
But the Loggers put some pressure on the home squad late, rallying for four runs in the sixth, taking advantage of a couple of Toledo errors, and with Kaiyah Sandridge knocking in a pair on a double.
That tied the game at 5-5 heading into the seventh.
After Toledo starter Bethany Bowen held the Loggers without a run in the top of the inning, Mialeigh Jurica singled to start things for the ‘Hawks in the seventh. The Loggers elected to intentionally walk two batters after recording a groundout to load the bases with a force-out at home, moving Jurica to third.
After tossing a strike, a wild pitch sent Jurica careening for home, walking it off in seven, 6-5, with Bowen at the plate.
The senior hurler threw a complete game, with all five runs unearned on five hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. At the plate, Norberg went 2 for 4 with the inside-the-park home run, and Abbie Marcil went 2 for 3 with two runs scored, an RBI, a double and a triple.
Onalaska’s starter in the circle, Lisa Liddell, went 6 1/3 innings, giving up six earned runs on nine hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. Desi Smith added a 2 for 4 line at leadoff with two runs scored.
Toledo will look to build on its win when it heads to Ellensburg to play at Central Washington University against Kittitas and Davis on Saturday, while Onalaska gets another extended break, resuming play against Rainier in a doubleheader on April 10.
