COULEE CITY — The Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors earned a pair of dominating victories over Inchelium during Saturday’s doubleheader, winning the first game 19-4 and the second 13-4. Warriors Head Coach Faye Butler said the team is coming together nicely as they work through the second half of the season. 

“I feel like the girls’ bats are getting more alive these days; (it) just takes them a little bit of getting into the season,” said Butler. 

The Warriors gained a strong lead in the bottom of the first inning with eight runs scored off hits from Josie Bayless, Grace Erickson, Savannah Monson, Lainee Baergen and Grace Okamoto. ACH’s push was stalled in the second inning as they were held to one run from Emma Brummett stealing home and Inchelium got on the board in the third with two runs.

Butler said the Warriors were feeling discouraged by a few errors made on the field in the second and third innings, but the coach brought everyone together and got them pumped back up to close out the game. 

ACH came back to the bottom of the third where they scored four runs off hits from Brummett, Dani Isaak and Erickson. While Inchelium tacked on another two runs in the fourth, the Warriors scored six runs off hits from Bayless, Peyton Roberts, Madison Brink, Monson and Baergen to end the game on the 10-run rule. 

Okamoto pitched for the Warriors throughout the game, where she gave up five hits and four runs while striking out five and walking three.  

“They were a little bit down the first game, even though we 10-run them, but second game emotionally they were doing better,” said Butler. 

In game two, Inchelium got on the board first scoring two runs off a triple, but the Warriors responded with two of their own off a double by Brummett and a groundout by Erickson to tie the game. ACH claimed the lead in the following inning with a single from Okamoto. 

After both teams went scoreless in the third inning, ACH added five runs in the fourth and four runs in the fifth while holding Inchelium to just two runs in the fifth. The Warriors scored one more run in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal the victory in game two. 

Okamoto pitched the full game once again where she gave up nine hits, four runs and three walks, while striking out 10 Inchelium batters. 

“Grace was doing an awesome job pitching,” said Butler. “She’s been really working hard at her curveballs and screwballs and just all the different stuff, so it’s just been really exciting to see Grace have a lot of success there.” 

Offensively, Bayless led the charge in both game Saturday with seven total RBIs followed by Brummett and Baergen, who had three RBIs each. 

The coach said keeping the mental aspect of the game in the forefront of team conversations as ACH pushes toward the next half of the season. “Softball is about failure. When you look at the game of softball and baseball, the real winner is the one that mentally rises above the failure,” she said.  

As they get closer to postseason play, Butler said she wants the team to be sharper and more crisp in the way they operate. This comes down to even the most seemingly minute detail such as how the players run toward the ball. 

The Warriors have already had their skills tested multiple times this season, facing and performing well against tough teams such as Liberty Christian and Sunnyside Christian, which has the coach feeling confident in the team growth.  

“We’re right there; there’s definitely a lot of good hope for doing well at state,” said Butler. “Just continuing to develop them and work on all the little things.” 

The Warriors remain at home for their next doubleheader against Wilbur Creston Keller on Tuesday with the first game starting at 2 p.m. 

BOX SCORES 

GAME ONE 

INCH: 0-0-2-2-x: 4 

ACHW: 8-1-4-6-x: 19 

GAME TWO 

INCH: 2-0-0-0-2-0-0: 4 

ACHW: 2-1-0-5-4-1-x: 13 

    ACH’s Grace Erickson awaits the pitch while guarding third base during a road matchup earlier this season.
  

    Keira Cunningham from ACH throws the ball back toward the diamond at a game earlier in the season.