SHS ends nine game skid with win against IEL foe
Mayle Ducken throws a pitch against Moscow in their doubleheader on Tuesday at War Memorial Field.
(Photo by JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
The Sandpoint softball team honored the 1992 team between games during its double header against 4A Inland Empire League opponent Moscow at War Memorial Field on Tuesday.
“They’re significant to the program because they’re the first group Sandpoint ever had,” Sandpoint softball coach Elizabeth Hawkins-Williams said. “They laid the foundation and set a great example.”
The 1992 alumni got to witness the Bulldogs snap its nine-game losing streak in the opener.
Sandpoint knocked off Moscow 8-6 in the first game of the doubleheader.
“Our pitching was significantly better than it's been in the past,” Hawkins-Willams said. “The pitching was able to put us in a position to win the game.”
Kivia Barlow went the distance in the opener, the second time she’s done that this season.
She threw 110 pitches in the first game and gave up six runs on seven hits and struck out five.
“She is very important,” Hawkins-Williams said. “She was very sharp with her pitching. She was able to keep the Moscow batters off balance.”
Barlow was also effective at the plate in the opener, going 2-for-4 with a triple.
Sandpoint’s two errors also didn’t hurt it as much as in the past.
Hawkins-Wiliams credits that to Barlow’s ability to keep runners off the bases.
She only walked four during the opener.
“(Kivia) Barlow did a great job limiting free bases,” Hawkins-Williams said. “There wasn’t a runner on base during the errors, so we were able to limit their runs.”
After the current Bulldogs honored the 1992 team, Sandpoint fell to Moscow 10-0.
The Bulldogs just didn’t come out of the gates swinging like they did in the first game.
“We were sluggish and we weren’t ready to hit,” Hawkins-Williams said. “We pulled (Kivia) Barlow and put in Mayle Ducken and she did pretty well; she just gave up too many walks.”
The Bears stepped on the gas immediately in the bottom of the first, scoring four runs.
Moscow brought home a runner every inning from the first until the fourth. The final score came in the sixth when Addie Branen stole home.
Despite the loss in the nightcap, the players remained optimistic after snapping its losing streak.
“They asked me yesterday to be harder on them and keep them more accountable, and they responded extremely well,” Hawkins-Williams said. “This is a group that really likes to be pushed and they really stepped it up today.”
The Bulldogs improved to 2-16 overall and 1-11 in 4A Inland Empire League play and will next face off against Lakeland on Saturday in a twin bill.
GAME ONE
MOSCOW 201 300 0 — 6 7 0
SANDPOINT 000 143 X — 8 12 2
Kivia Barlow and Ashlyn Darling. K. Stolick and M. Highfill.
HITS: SPT — Tuinstra, Barlow 2, Schwenk 3, Authier 2, Ducken 2, Darling, Cessna. MOS — Pouchnik 2, K. Kiblen 2, Rainer, Stolick, Highfill. 2B — Darling, Schwenk, Highfill, Kiblen. 3B — Barlow, Cessna.
GAME TWO
MOSCOW 413 101 — 10 12 0
SANDPOINT 000 000 — 0 8 3
Kivia Barlow, Mayle Ducken (3), Cresanna Authier (4), and Ashlyn Darling. M. Kees and M. Highfill.
HITS; SPT — Darling, Barlow, Dysart, Schwenk 2, Authier, Cessna, McCown. MOS — Highfill, Branen, Kiblen 2, Sparks, Rainer, Pouchnik, Robertson. 2B — Kiblen 2, Sparks, Rainer. 3B — Pouchnik, Robertson.