Every game is a brave new day, and the Blue Hawk softball team will boldly go anywhere and play anyone on their endless trek to get better, while having a little fun doing it.

Coach Jared Koskela and his resilient Hawks had a busy, productive week, 10-run ruling visiting Bonners Ferry 16-6 in five innings in Thompson Falls Wednesday, coming back from way behind to defeat Eureka 10-9 in nine innings, also in Thompson Falls Thursday and finally, falling 11-10 to Troy in Troy Saturday.

Now 2-6 overall, the Hawks were set to visit Plains Monday, April 12 for a Western B-C conference game and will host Class A Whitefish Saturday in a non-conference game at Pirk’s Place in Thompson Falls.

Koskela says the Western B-C division is very competitive this season and that his Hawks relish the opportunity to be in the fight each and every time out. “This group wants it, they want to play. They are scrappy, gritty and they never quit,” he said. “There isn’t the dominant pitching in the division this year and everyone is throwing haymakers at each other so far. It’s shaping up as an interesting season.”

The Hawks’ win over Eureka Thursday exemplified Koskela’s point. The Lions roared out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, forcing the Hawks into fight-back mode early.

After battling back all game but still trailing 9-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hawks rallied again loading up the bases with no outs, getting one run across scoring on a wild pitch before senior Annalise Fairbank drove in the tying run on a fielder’s choice groundball to send the game into extra innings.

Finally, in the bottom of the ninth, the Hawks made their game-winning push. After Nevaeh Christensen led off with a single up the middle, Aubrey Fairbank beat out a hit down the third base line to put two Hawks on base.

With two outs and runners on second and third, Annalise Fairbank came up big again with a solid hit up the middle to score the walk-off, game-winning run from third.

Annalise finished the game with three hits, including a double, two runs batted in and a run scored, and little sister Audrey had a hit, drew three walks and scored two runs.

In addition to pitching much of the game, Sydnie Eichert hit a double and a triple, scored twice and drove in a run.

Addie Traver doubled and tripled driving in two runs, Kassidy Dana added three hits, including another double, and scored a run, Kaylie Mercer had two hits and a run, Christensen was three for five with a double, Marley Robinson had a hit and an RBI, and Kylee Borgmann added a base hit.

Eichert fanned six Lion batters in five innings and Kaydence Pavlik struck out two and picked up the pitching win shutting down Eureka the final two innings.

Everyone got in on the fun when the Hawks won their first game of the season 16-6 over Bonners Ferry Wednesday.

Traver doubled and tripled again against the Badgers, driving in three runs and scoring two, Mercer had three hits with two doubles, driving in two runs and scoring three, and Dana and Annalise Fairbank both went three for four with three runs scored, and Annalise also drove in two runs.

Borgmann was two for three with two RBI, Eichert added two hits, two runs and an RBI and Robinson two runs scored.

Against Troy Saturday, Dana and Christensen both crashed home runs, with Kassidy ending up with three hits and three RBI and Nevaeh with two hits and another three RBI.

Audrey Fairbank hit a triple, scored two runs and drove in two, Annalise added a hit, a run and an RBI and Eichert two hits and two runs scored.

    KEEPING HER EYES on the baserunner, Hawk freshman shortstop Audrey Fairbank gathers up the softball and looks to make a throw during Thursday’s game with Eureka at Pirk’s Place in Thompson Falls. (John Hamilton/vp-mi)