Hammack, Givens lead Bulldogs to doubleheader split with Bears

SANDPOINT — Senior leaders Rachel Hammack and Molly Givens each played huge roles in leading Sandpoint to a doubleheader split against Moscow in 4A North softball action Monday at Travers Park.

The Bulldogs (5-13, 2-4 4A IEL) struggled defensively in the opener, committing eight errors while not capitalizing on a solid pitching performance from Kym DaVault, as the Bears scored five runs in a tough third inning to blow the game open.

Givens made sure there wouldn’t be a sweep, pitching her first shutout of the season and also dropping a single over the first base bag to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Hammack added an insurance run when her towering fly ball was misplayed deep in left field and she beat the throw home to give Sandpoint a 2-0 lead heading into the seventh inning. Sandpoint head coach Derek Dickinson called it a tale of two games.

“In the first game we brought our bats but the defense couldn’t help our pitcher,” he explained, adding the win puts them in the driver’s seat for the second seed at districts. “In the second game the defense was awesome. It was the cleanest game we’ve played all year.”

The second game featured a couple of defensive gems. Leading 1-0 with the bases loaded and only one out, Givens fielded a comebacker and fired to first, where DaVault would complete the double play by pegging a strike home to Hammack, who blocked the plate and applied the tag.

Hammack, who scored the only two runs of the game, added another stellar play for the last out of the game, when she ran out from behind the plate and chased down a Moscow base runner before diving to apply the tag for the final out.

Sandpoint hosts Lake City today at 4 p.m. at Travers Park.

GAME 1

Moscow    005 320 0 — 10   5   3

Sandpoint 002 401 0 —  7    5   8

Gosse and Maxey; Kym DaVault, Molly Givens (4) and Rachel Hammack. W — Gosse. L — DaVault (1-7).

HITS: Mos — Riendeau, Redinger, Gosse, Lunsford 2. Spt — Hamilton, Hammack 2, DaVault, Johnson. 2B — Hamilton. 3B — Hammack, Redinger, Lunsford.

GAME 2

Moscow    000 000 0 — 0    7    2

Sandpoint 000 101 x — 2    2    1

Gosse and Maxey; Givens and Hammack. W — Givens (4-5). L — Gosse.

HITS: Mos — Wallace, Redinger, Maxey, Dadineau, Krasset 2, Riendeau. Spt — Kirscher, Givens. 2B — Maxey, Krasset.