Lady Tigers recover from no-hitter to tally nine runs

EPHRATA — After suffering a 5-2 opening game loss in which they did not register a base hit, Ephrata's bats heated up to the tune of nine runs on 11 hits as the Lady Tigers won 9-7 in the back end of a doubleheader Friday.

With the score tied at seven in the bottom of the sixth, Holly Hubbard's leadoff triple down the right-field line gave Ephrata a chance to take the lead. Lauren Lynch brought Hubbard in on a sacrifice to put the Lady Tigers on top 8-7.

Tonya Joe, on at first with one out, stole second on a strikeout and took third on a bobbled ball by the catcher. Tia Riggs brought Joe home with a grounder as the Cascade infield couldn't get the out on Riggs at first base.

In the top of the seventh, pitcher Holly Nelson got a great jump on a short infield popup and made the catch for the first out of the inning.

After an infield single by Cascade, the Lady Tigers got the second out of the inning at second base and just missed turning a game-ending double play at first. Shortstop K.K. Bossert then snared a sharply hit liner out the air to record the game's final out.

"We started building and building," said Ephrata coach Heather Wood of her team's offensive improvement throughout the afternoon. "It's like we take a while to warm up, but my kids never gave up."

In the second game, Ephrata adjusted their approach offensively, using bunts and aggressive base running to jump to a 3-2 lead after the first inning. Ephrata dropped down three run-producing bunts in the inning. A stolen base by Lynch midway through the inning put the Ephrata base runner in position to score the Lady Tigers' final run of the inning.

"Anytime I got one on, (I said) lets see how they can field," said Wood of the Ephrata's consistent use of the sacrifice bunt.

Cascade would retake the lead in the third, scoring three runs to move ahead 5-4. Ephrata answered the challenge two innings later, picking up three runs of their own to grab a 7-5 lead at the end of five innings.

Cascade responded by tying the game in the top of the sixth. With the game tied and runners at first and second, Nelson got the a ground-ball out to end the Kodiak threat, setting up Ephrata's sixth inning rally.

In the first game, Ephrata hung with Cascade despite being held hitless. The Tigers trailed 3-2 entering the seventh inning, but allowed a pair of runs that put the game out of reach.

Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, Joe led off the inning with a walk. Joe, running the bases aggressively, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bossert. When the throw to third base sailed past the Cascade fielder, Joe came home to get the Lady Tigers on the board.

Ephrata's other run of the game came in similar fashion.

In the sixth, Joe got on first with a walk and quickly stole second base. Joe then broke for third, and when no Cascade fielder came over to cover the base, the catcher's throw to third went flying down the left field line. Joe scored easily from third to make the score 3-2.

Despite taking advantage of those scoring opportunities, Pfister's 10 strikeouts were too much to overcome for Ephrata.

Bossert led Ephrata offensively, going 3-4 in the second game. Riggs, Hubbard, Lynch and Joe each went 2-for-4 in the second game for the Lady Tigers.