MOSES LAKE — A three-run bottom of the third inning helped Moses Lake take the lead for good over Mt. Spokane in Friday’s non-league softball contest, holding on for a 7-2 win over the Wildcats.

“I like playing good teams because it makes us better,” Moses Lake Head Coach Mike Hofheins said. “What do they say, ‘Iron sharpens iron?’ Our non-league schedule is a gauntlet, and I think it makes us better than if we’re playing teams we can dominate. I think, in the long run, it’s going to be good for us.”

Mt. Spokane went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning, with the Mavs tying the game in the bottom of the third when senior Trinity Nations scored on a passed ball. Two at-bats later, freshman Amelia Avalos sent home senior Mikayla Schwartz on a hard ground ball to center field to give Moses Lake the lead, adding another run on a sacrifice fly by senior Kendall Reffett.

“We just kept grinding,” Hofheins said. “They’re a good team — they were playing for third and fourth place in the state tournament last year, so they’re a solid ball club and it wouldn’t surprise me if they’re there again. You need to go through the lineup once and get a look, and we just kept grinding out good at-bats. Got runners on, and had a lot of opportune hits.”

Reffett was one of six Mavericks that drove in a run in Friday’s win.

“I think we came out really excited to hit, so once one goes it’s like a domino effect,” Reffett said. “That’s how we got going.”

Junior Paige Richardson and senior Morgan Ross split time in the circle, surrendering six total hits and striking out seven Wildcat batters.

“First game out, for them to come out and be that nails — I think they only had one walk, they were squared up,” Hofheins said. “They had a couple dribblers and bloops that were good pitches, they just got lucky on them. I couldn’t be more pleased with the performance of my two pitchers.”

Richardson got the start in the circle, pitching 4.1 innings and striking out five batters.

“Having my team back behind me, they were supporting me the whole way through,” Richardson said. “A lot of it has to do with the adrenaline — you’re excited to be in there pitching.”

Up 4-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Moses Lake added three more runs to push the lead to 7-1; Reffett scored on a bases-loaded walk, sophomore Caitlin Decubber scored on a sacrifice fly by Schwartz and Nations scored on an RBI by sophomore Addisyn Reffett. 

Mt. Spokane got the bases loaded in the top of the seventh, but Moses Lake was able to hold on for the 7-2 win.

“It’s nice when you have a few-run lead there, and you can just play for outs,” Hofheins said. “Morgan (Ross) buckled down and got those outs for us; we got ground balls, and we made it happen.”

After Saturday’s doubleheader against Mead and Hermiston, the Mavs open league play with a doubleheader on the road against Sunnyside on Friday.

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

Box score

MTSP: 1-0-0-0-0-0-1 2
MSLK: 0-0-3-0-1-3-X 7

    Moses Lake junior Paige Richardson pitches the ball to Mt. Spokane.
  

    Moses Lake senior Kendall Reffett catches a fly ball in the outfield for an out.
  

    Moses Lake senior Raegen Hofheins (2) throws the ball back to first base.