SPOKANE — Walla Walla and Spokane split a pair of five-inning mercy-rule softball games here Tuesday.
The Warriors, coming off a pair of Northwest Athletic Conference East Region losses at North Idaho on Monday, tamed the Sasquatch 12-2 in the first game Tuesday.
But Spokane recovered and defeated Walla Walla 11-3 in the nightcap.
Tuesday’s split left the Walla Wallans with a 3-5 record in the East and 8-8 overall.
The Warriors return to action with a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend, hosting Yakima Friday and Columbia Basin Saturday. Friday’s games begin at 2 pm, while Saturday’s start at 12 pm.
Spokane, now 2-4 in league play and 2-8 on the season, travels to Pendleton Friday to take on Blue Mountain in a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
The Warriors managed just seven hits in Tuesday’s victory over the Sasquatch. But they took advantage of seven free passes, a pair of Spokane errors and the strong pitching of Abby Giles to chalk up the win.
Giles pitched all five innings, allowed just three hits, walked three and struck out two.
Caitlin Crist’s double was WWCC’s only extra-base hit of the game. She also knocked in a run and scored once.
Gabby Beckstrom, Kira Haskell, Brynnan Carpenter, Whitney Enriquez, Ashton Buffo and Giles picked up one single each. Haskell was credited with three RBIs and Rylee Gentner drove in two runs. Khiala Rollins scored three times and Beckstrom, Enriquez and Giles each crossed the plate twice.
It was a complete reversal in the nightcap as Spokane pounded out 16 hits and Sasquatch pitcher Erica Grenlund limited Walla Walla to three runs on six hits.
Seven different Spokane players collected two hits each, highlighted by Gracie Olsen’s solo home run and single. Paula Pintler, Angie Porcayo and Kirsten Anstrom added a double each, Porcayo knocked in four runs and Tabitha Bartolome scored three times.
Beckstrom blasted a solo home run, added a single and scored twice to lead the Warriors on offense. Crist singled twice and scored once.
