Tigers victorious over East Valley, advance to state
MIKE MAYNARD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 months AGO
Tigers pitcher Olivia Bicondova plays in a previous game against Prosser. Bicondova pitched a strong game against East Valley, only allowing two hits on 89 pitches
FILE PHOTO
Ephrata’s Jaemyson Durfee plays in a previous game against Othello. Durfee went four-for-four at bat and racked up three RBIs.
Dakota Durfee plays in a game last season. Durfee contributed four RBIs to the Tigers' win over East Valley.
EPHRATA — The Tigers softball team, 21-10, defeated East Valley, 19-5, with a final score of 17-1 on Saturday. The Tigers’ second and fourth inning efforts propelled them to victory.
“We hit the ball really well, we played some pretty errorless defense,” head coach Heather Wood said, “They had a goal in mind, and they achieved it.”
The Tigers opened the game on fire, scoring two runs in the first inning and exploding for six in the second. A two-out rally against East Valley boosted their efforts in the second inning.
In the bottom of the third inning, East Valley would get on the board for the first and only time. The Tigers responded at the top of the fourth inning with another explosive offensive effort. They racked up six more runs, increasing their lead to 13-1 heading into the fifth inning.
The Tigers would finish what they started with three more runs before throwing East Valley out and securing the 17-1 victory.
Olivia Bicondova’s pitching efforts helped the Tigers defensively and prevented East Valley from building any momentum. On 89 pitches, Bicondova only allowed two hits and struck out six East Valley batters.
On offense, Jaemyson Durfee went four-for-four at bat and racked up three RBIs for the Tigers. Dakota Durfee also racked up four RBIs for the Tigers.
“They all did their job; that’s why we’re heading to state,” Wood said, “This was one of our goals. I think our second goal is to make it to day two of state. You just go one game at a time, and you've got to leave it on the field. They know that it’s a do-or-die situation, so we’ll bring it and see where we complete.”
The Tigers will head to Carlon Park this Friday to play the Olympic Trojans (20-3-1) with hopes of making a deep run in the state tournament.
Ephrata’s Jaemyson Durfee plays in a previous game against Othello. Durfee went four-for-four at bat and racked up three RBIs.
Dakota Durfee plays in a game last season. Durfee contributed four RBIs to the Tigers' win over East Valley.ARTICLES BY MIKE MAYNARD
Cougs’ extend win streak after win over Portland
PULLMAN — The Washington State Cougars (19-17) extended its win streak to five after defeating the University of Portland Pilots 9-3 Monday, according to a statement by WSU Athletics. Pitcher Brock Blatter was happy with his performance after coming back from a recent injury. “It felt good (to) give us a good start and stuff and get us in good position and get a win on a Monday,” Blatter said. “(I just) keep getting innings and building up my pitch count and stuff like that and continue to build each outing. (I) got four innings today and continued to build the pitch count.”
Basin diamond roundup, April 7-13
MOSES LAKE — Over the last week, we have crossed the halfway mark of the spring sports season for Basin baseball and softball. While many schools were enjoying a relaxing spring break, many others still stepped out on the diamond as they work toward the postseason. See below how your favorite teams fared and their current record.
More than basketball
Grant County Red Tails emphasize mentorship while earning dramatic home victory
MATTAWA — The Grant County Red Tails (6-5) are the Basin’s newest professional basketball team. Part of The Basketball League, the Red Tails aren’t only focused on hoops, they’re also driven by community service. “We came together because we saw the need, number one, that we could revitalize the mentorship and the leadership things that are missing in this community, with touch points, with kids and families and family engagement, being in such a rural area, and we wanted to really take advantage of that and be the answer,” Co-Founder Antonio Williams said. Alongside Doug Foodies and Ryan Purdie, the trio has brought another option for entertainment to Mattawa and Grant County as a whole. Williams pointed to a new jail being built in the area as motivation for pursuing this endeavor, he said.