The Ephrata High School softball team picked up a win at home in its season opener Wednesday, 8-2, over Eastmont High School.

The Tigers jumped out to a red-hot start in the bottom of the first, making it all the way back to the top of their batting order while pouring in five runs to take an early lead. With the bases loaded, Crystal Vela knocked a ball over the fence for a grand slam, bringing in four of those five runs.

Ephrata added another run to its total in the bottom of the second inning to go ahead 6-0.

Eastmont chipped away at the lead in the top of the fourth with a pair of runs to pull within four. But the Tigers responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Senior Rylee Peters pitched the entire game for Ephrata, finishing with 10 strikeouts and two runs allowed on three hits.

Crystal Vela finished 2-3 from the plate, with one home run and three RBIs. Jocelyn Eisen finished 2-4 for the Tigers, knocking in three RBIs, including two on a double. Kylar Heston hit a solo home run for the Tigers, finishing 2-4.

Tigers head coach Heather Wood said the biggest thing her team will need to overcome early this season is not playing for over a year and a half. But, she said, her team came out hungry. She added she’s got a lot of seniors who want to end their Ephrata softball careers with a bang.

After the early lead, the Tigers let up a bit against Eastmont as the game went on, something Wood said she’s worked on with her team before.

“We’ve worked on that the last couple of years, where we come out with a bang and we’re in control, and then it’s ‘oh crap, they’re coming back on us,’” Wood said. “So that’s something we’ll have to drill into them again.”

Wood said her senior pitcher Rylee Peters pitched a great game. She said she didn’t plan on keeping her on the mound the entire game, but after the good start decided to let her work through it.

“She was on fire,” Wood said. “I don’t know if she’s pitched a full game in a while, so she’ll be sore tomorrow.”

Wood said the Tigers have a few key positions to fill from last year’s team in the field, and said her team will look to build that chemistry and rhythm as a unit with some new faces.

With a big group of seniors this season, Wood said, she’s hoping to get younger players some experience on the field and on the mound to build that comfort in the varsity environment.

The Tigers will face Warden High School in their next game on the road Friday afternoon.

Casey McCarthy can be reached via email at cmccarthy@columbiabasinherald.com.