ST. IGNATIUS — Last season proved that not many softball teams could stop the Lady Bulldogs.

Now one game into the 2012 season, apparently even Mother Nature can’t slow down MAC softball. Despite a biblical downpour, the squad picked up a 15-5 victory over conference opponent Deer Lodge thanks to the incredible bat and arm of pitcher Loren Erickson.

ST. IGNATIUS — Last season proved that not many softball teams could stop the Lady Bulldogs.

Now one game into the 2012 season, apparently even Mother Nature can’t slow down MAC softball. Despite a biblical downpour, the squad picked up a 15-5 victory over conference opponent Deer Lodge thanks to the incredible bat and arm of pitcher Loren Erickson.

“She threw really well even though it was in tough conditions,” MAC head coach Susan Weaselhead said. “The mound was wet so she probably couldn’t get her full push off.”

Erickson struck out six and shut out Deer Lodge in the final three innings of the matchup. At the plate, she was equally as impressive and went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. She reached base five times during the game, adding a walk and reaching on an error.

The game started out with a struggle back and forth.

Both teams were tied 3-3 after the first two frames, before Deer Lodge took a two-run lead in the top of the third. MAC would answer back and gain the 6-5 advantage in the bottom of the frame and that’s how it would stay until a huge rally by the Lady Bulldogs.

The third inning was when the rain really started to come down but both teams played on, trying to get their first official game in.

“It was cold and wet but they kept on going,” Weaselhead said of the girls. “It was hard to get a hit and it was tough on the pitchers.”

Both were scoreless in the fourth inning, but Erickson, Janeal McDonald and Kinley Pope helped spark MAC to an eight-run fifth inning rally and added another run in the sixth to enforce the 10-run margin rule. McDonald ended the game having reached base four times, and hit a pair of singles.

Weaselhead thought it was a good opportunity to get the first game jitters out and while there were a few errors and easy outs missed, she was happy with the team’s first showing.

“No matter how you do in practice it’s always different in a game,” Weaselhead said. “We saw some things we need our girls to work on but they would have been hitting better if we weren’t in such bad conditions.”

She added that she liked the play from her outfielders despite the weather. MAC played Ronan softball on Tuesday but results were not ready before press time. It will be the first time the two teams face off as conference opponents and it should become a nice rivalry for the valley.

“I think that we’re going to have to see the pitches out ahead of us,” Weaselhead said. “They have good talent on the mound.”

On April 13, the Lady Bulldogs will battle Missoula Big Sky’s JV squad, giving the team a nice look at AA softball.