ML softball opens with wins in three of four games

Medical Lake girls’ softball coach Tim Blakely thought he might have a pretty decent team. And he got proof of that on the field as the Cardinals finished their first week of play with a 3-1 record, including a victory in their opener over Cheney.

The Cardinals earned wins of 11-6 versus the Lady Blackhawks March 15, hammered 2B Davenport 20-0 March 17 and split a doubleheader with St. Maries March 19, losing 18-6 but claiming the second game 13-9.

“That was a big win for us right out of the chute,” Blakely said of the win at home against their West Plains rivals. “I thought we were a pretty solid squad, I didn’t know how we were going to compare up against Cheney.”

Bradyn Wegner had a great day on the mound, Blakely said, as the senior limited Cheney to six hits. Rachel Stanfil went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs in a game where the Cardinals scored three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, rallying from being down 6-5 to claim the win.

Taylor Carpenter was 4-for-5, Taylor Pavao 3-for-5 and Sarah Mayer 3-for-3 in the rout of Davenport as the Cardinals had 23 hits.

After the big explosion against Davenport the bats went pretty silent against the visiting Lumberjacks. The Cardinals had just nine hits.

But the real problem, Blakely said, was fielding as Medical Lake committed four errors that opened the gates for the visitors to quickly build a 9-0 lead after two innings.

“We ended up struggling a little bit,” Blakely said. “It kinda’ snowballed from there.” St. Maries put up 15 hits. “You can’t take away from St. Maries, they’re a good hitting team,” Blakely said.

Mayer, Pavao and Hannah Petek each had a pair of hits for the Cardinals with Petek getting tossed out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple in an attempt to ignite her team. Carpenter had three RBIs.

Medical Lake turned things around in the second game, thanks, in part, Blakely said, to a chat he had between games. “We came out firing,” he said. The Cardinals turned the tables on the Lumberjacks and led 12-0 after two at bats.

Pavao going 3-for-5 with three RBIs Mayer was 2-for-4 and also had three RBIs.

Paul Delaney can be reached at pdelaney@cheneyfreepress.com.