Walla Walla Community College’s softball team used a five-run fifth inning, and held off a late Spokane Falls rally, to take a 5-4 decision in the opener of an NWAC East twin bill on the Warriors’ field on Friday afternoon.
The nightcap wasn’t nearly as dramatic, as WWCC scored six first-inning runs and won in six innings, 13-5.
The opener was a home run fest, with Brynnan Carpenter and Gabby Beckstrom leaving the yard for the Warriors.
Four Sasquatch recorded home runs, which pulled them within one run before the Warriors closed out the victory.
Abby Giles pitched WWCC to the win, allowing six hits and four runs over six innings before Rosie Cantu closed it out.
In the second game, Khiala Rollins was 4-for-4 for WWCC with two singles, a double and a home run.
The Warriors racked up 15 hits in the game.
Courtney Call got the win in the circle for WWCC, giving up 10 hits and five runs in five innings before Cantu closed out the win.
Spokane jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap, scoring those runs with two outs before WWCC could escape.
WWCC answered with six runs in the home half of the first inning, and never looked back.
Caitlin Crist singled to lead off the bottom of the first, stole second base, and took third on a Rylee Gentner groundout before Beckstrom drove her home on a base hit to left field.
Kira Haskell followed with a single, and after Call had grounded into a force out, the Warriors would work three straight walks with two down to drive home two more runs and tie things up at 3-3.
WWCC kept the bases loaded as Khiala Rollins and Crist (her second at-bat of the inning) each singled home a run for a 5-3 lead.
The Warriors added another run when Gentner was hit by a pitch.
WWCC then split a twin bill with North Idaho on Saturday.
In the first game, the Warriors found themselves down early as they headed into the bottom of the third inning trailing 7-0.
They finally got on the board after Gabby Beckstrom blasts a two run home run that scored Ashton Buffo with two outs.
The Warriors would struggle to keep up with the Cardinals all game, and then in the top of the fifth inning with one out, Bailey Cavanagh for North Idaho would hit a grand slam that would ultimately be the icing on the cake for the Cardinals.
Rhyanne Oates
The Warriors would score two more runs in the bottom half of the fifth after Kira Haskell singled to center field that would score Rhyanne Oates and Gabby Beckstrom.
In the second game, the Warriors struck first with two runs in the first inning from a Courtney Call single that scored Rhyanne Oates, and then after two walks, Kira Haskell came in to score.
The Cardinals got things going in the fourth inning with a solo home run from Jori Kerr, and then two batters later, Brianna Hecker would give the Cardinals a 3-2 lead after a two run homer.
Walla Walla would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning when Brynnan Carpenter came through with a pinch-hit three-run homer to get the lead right back for the Warriors.
After scoring two more runs in the sixth, the Warriors held the Cardinals to one run in the top of the seventh and would hang on for the victory.
The Warriors, now 15-11 overall and 10-8 in NWAC play, will travel to play Highline in a double-header on Friday. First game starts at 2 p.m.
