EPHRATA — A four-run bottom of the third gave Ephrata the lead for good in Tuesday’s non-league softball contest against Wenatchee, defeating the Panthers 10-3 and improving to 3-2 this spring.

Tuesday’s game was the fourth 4A team the 2A Tigers have played so far this season, following games against West Valley (Yakima) and Tahoma, which both ended in losses.

“I think it helps us a lot,” Ephrata head coach Heather Wood said. “We got some good compliments after the weekend from Tahoma — they said you’re diving for everything, you’re very competitive at all times. I think it helps us see different people than people that are in our league.”

Tied at one in the bottom of the third inning after junior Olivia Bicondova scored on a bases-loaded walk, Tiger senior Peyton Trautman delivered a three-RBI double to push the Ephrata lead to 4-1, a lead the Tigers held on to the remainder of the game.

“I saw a perfect outside pitch — those are my thing, and I took a hack at it,” Trautman said. 

Wenatchee managed to cut the lead to 4-3 on a two-RBI single in the top of the fourth, but the Tigers added insurance runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to leave with a 10-3 win.

“(Wenatchee) had a lot left on, and we came through with plays that we needed to come through with when they had runners in scoring position,” Wood said. “(Bicondova) brought the heat so that we were striking them out instead of giving them a chance to hit.”

With Ephrata up 7-3, the Panthers got the bases loaded in the top of the sixth inning after two batters were walked and one delivered a single; Bicondova got the strikeout to close the inning with no runs scored, her ninth strikeout of the afternoon.

“The bases were loaded, I just knew I had to get it done so that no runs got in,” Bicondova said. “A lot of it is due to my catcher (junior Jaemyson Durfee). She does a really good job of calming me down when I’m under pressure and have runners on.”

In addition to her nearly double-digit strikeout day pitching, Bicondova went three-for-three at the plate and scored three runs in the win.

“I had confidence on defense, so it carried over to confidence on offense,” Bicondova said. 

Trautman led the Tigers with five RBI in the win. The senior said the Tigers jumpstarted their offense by having a discussion heading into the bottom of the third inning.

“We came in a little slow, and we had a little talk — saying how we need to sit on it and wait, that this was a pitcher that we’ve seen before and that we just need to do what we do,” Trautman said.

Tuesday’s win came three days after the Tigers split a doubleheader over the weekend, first losing 13-4 to Tahoma before a 10-0 win over Clarkston.

“We definitely practiced our batting, because our bats were a little slow,” Trautman said. “We ended up getting all those reps, and I think it really showed at the end of the game.”

The Tigers open Central Washington Athletic Conference play with a road doubleheader against Grandview on Friday starting at 3 p.m.

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

Box score

WNT: 0-0-1-2-0-0-0 3

EPH: 0-0-4-2-1-3-X 10

    Ephrata junior KK Hector (2) makes contact with a pitch during the fourth inning against Wenatchee.
  

    Ephrata senior Peyton Trautman runs to third base during Tuesday’s non-league game against Wenatchee. Trautman led the Tigers with five RBI in the win.
  

    Ephrata junior Jaemyson Durfee makes contact with a pitch against Wenatchee.