WARDEN - Cougar softball action is heating up as Warden played three  non-league games in the last six days. Warden split a twin bill  at home with Chelan Saturday, and beat Royal on the road Tuesday to improve its record to 2-2.

The first game of the double header saw the Cougars get by the Goats 7-4.

Chelan got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first inning. Warden answered back with a run in the bottom half to close the gap to 2-1.

Neither team scored in the second or third inning, but the Goats pushed two runs across the plate in the top of the fourth to stretch the lead to 4-1.

The Cougars held Chelan off the board the last three innings of the ball game and scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth and one in the sixth for the come from behind win. Irish Rodriguez had two RBI for the Cougars.

Game two of the doubleheader was filled with offensive prowess as a total of 25 runs crossed the plate between the teams.

Warden took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but Chelan came charging back with five runs in the top of the second to go up 5-3. The Cougars answered back with two runs in their half of the inning to tie the game 5-5.

The Goats failed to score in the third inning, but Warden hung three more runs on the board to take an 8-5 lead. Chelan got two back in the fourth inning to get within a run, 8-7.

The Cougars were unable to produce a run in the bottom of the inning. The Goats scored eight runs over the final three innings to Warden's two, to win the game, 15-10.

Tawnie Gonsalez had three hits and four RBI, and Miexy Gonzalez had a double, a home run and two RBI to lead the way for the Cougars.

"I was proud of the way we hit the ball ... Tawnie was 5-for-8 and hit for the cycle combining the two games, but we need to tighten up our defense a lot," coach Wes Richins said. "Chelan is a quality team and all these pre-season games are giving us a chance to fill the holes and hopefully get better."

Warden 13

Royal 1

The Cougars took to the road Tuesday for another non-league game against the Knights. Warden found little resistance as the team blew by Royal, invoking the 10-run rule over the five inning contest to win by a dozen runs.

The Cougars jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning and never looked back.

Warden scored two in the top of fourth and eight in the top of the fifth to go up 13-0. The Knights avoided the shutout with a run in the bottom of the fifth.

Rodriguez got the win for the Cougars

"Royal always plays us tough, so I was glad we played well ... we hit well and Iris did a good job pitching against them," Richins said. "All in all, it was the best defensive game of the year so far."

Warden is back on the diamond Monday when the host River View at 3:30 p.m. The Cougars open up league play on the road against White Swan Tuesday