DEER PARK — The North 16/18U took the first game in the Dirty Bird Classic before falling in the final three games of the weekend.

The North 2, Palouse River 16U 1 

DEER PARK — Despite only mustering two hits, a dominant performance in the circle from Sandpoint High rising junior Marlee Stevens was enough to seal The North's lone win of the tournament on Saturday morning. 

Stevens threw all six innings of the game, fanning 11 of the 26 batters she faced in the process and giving up only four hits and one run. The Palouse River Wranglers 16U managed their lone run in the final inning, but the rally was quickly snuffed out by a double play by Sandpoint High rising junior Bailey Wilson and Priest River High rising junior McKinley Burgess-Duquette. 

The North struck first thanks to a double from star Arah Stevens, which drove in Leslie Gravier in the top of the first. They added on in the fourth thanks to a Gravier walk and an error, which allowed her to be scored a second time. 

While she didn't record a hit, Gravier was crucial to The North taking this game. The Troy, Montana native, stole three bases to help kickstart The North's offense. Coeur d'Alene High's Rylee Arrotta had the team's other hit of the game. 

Palouse 16U 0 0 0 0 0 1 — 1 4 2 

The North 1 0 0 1 0 X — 2 2 1 

PITCHING 

TN — M. Stevens: 6.0IP, 4H, 1R (1ER), 6BB, 11K PR — Akesson: 5.0IP, 2H, 2R (0ER), 1BB, 5K.  

BATTING 

HITS: TN — A. Stevens 1, Arrotta 1. 2B — A. Stevens 1. PR — Nebe 1, Akesson 1, Leavitt 1, Kerr 1. RBI: TN — A. Stevens 1. PR — Nebe 1. 

Palouse River 18U 11, The North 0 (4) 

DEER PARK — A two-hit day from Marlee Stevens wasn't enough to power The North past an eight-run first inning by the Palouse River Wranglers Black 18U on Saturday afternoon. 

The River Wranglers jumped all over starter Leslie Gravier, scoring eight runs before The North were able to manage an out. The rally included six singles and a three-run home run from Ady Sanford to centerfield to all but put the game out of reach for The North early. 

The North continued to show life with a two-out double from Sandpoint High rising junior Ariana Turnbull and a walk from Bailey Pierson in the second, but the team couldn't capitalize.  

Bailey Wilson was called in to shut down the River Wranglers and did just that through most of her time in the circle. Through three innings, she allowed three runs and held them scoreless in the second. However, another home run by Palouse clinched the game in the bottom of the fourth. 

The North 0 0 0 0 — 0 3 3 

Palouse 18U 8 0 1 2 — 11 11 1 

PITCHING 

TN — Gravier: 0.0IP, 6H, 8R (8ER), 3BB, 0K. Wilson: 3.0IP, 5H, 3R (3ER), 0BB, 3K. PR — Akesson: 4.0IP, 3H, 0R, 1BB, 4K.  

BATTING 

HITS: TN — M. Stevens 2, Turnbull 1. 2B — M. Stevens 1. PR — Randall 2, Sanford 2, Bell 2, Cromie 1, J. Miller 1, A. Miller 1, Stewart 1. 2B — Sanford 1, Randall 1. HR — Sanford 1, Cromie 1. RBI: TN — None. PR — Sanford 3, Miller 2, Cromie 2, Kapofu 2. 

Spokane 14, The North 0 (3) 

DEER PARK — The North's offense stayed quiet in the third game on Saturday, dropping this one 14-0 to the Spokane Mudhens 18U. 

Bailey Wilson got off to a fantastic start in the circle, notching two strikeouts in the first inning and only allowing one run off a groundout. A three-up, three-down inning for The North quickly put Wilson back in the hot seat, and the Mudhens took advantage. 

Five singles and a double knocked in seven runs for Spokane, extending their lead to 8-0. While Rylee Arrotta and McKinley Burgess-Duquette both worked walks in the second and third, respectively, it wasn't enough to ignite a rally, and The North fell in a run-ruled three-inning game. 

Spokane 1 7 6 — 14 9 0 

The North 0 0 0 — 0 0 5 

PITCHING 

TN — Wilson: 2.0IP, 6H, 8R (6ER), 1BB, 2K. Gravier: 0.2IP, 3H, 6R (2ER), 3BB, 0K. M. Stevens: 0.1IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 1K. MH — Gotez: 2.2IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 5K. Brumley: 0.1IP, 0H, 0R, 1BB, 0K. 

BATTING 

HITS: TN — None. MH— Duncan 2, Mawdsley 2, T. Capaul 1, Marshall 1, Brumley 1, Qualley 1, B. Capaul 1. 2B — T. Capaul 1. HR — Marshall 1. RBI: TN — None. MH — T. Capaul 2, Qualley 2, B. Capaul 2, Fausti 1, Goetz 1, Marshall 1, Duncan 1, Deremer 1. 

Palouse River 18U 10, The North 1 (5) 

DEER PARK — In a rematch with the Palouse River Wranglers Black 18U, The North fell behind early and sealed their fate with another two-hit outing to close out the Dirty Bird Classic on Sunday morning. 

The River Wranglers quickly scored on the second at-bat of the game and never looked back, ultimately sealing the game with a five-run fifth inning.  

Ariana Turnbull and Hannah Frago had the only two hits of the day for The North. Turnbull's single set up an error to score Bailey Pierson for the team's lone run of the game in the top of the fifth inning. 

Marlee Stevens once again got the start in the circle, throwing three complete innings, giving up seven hits, five runs and striking out one. Bailey Wilson finished the game off, allowing four runs and giving up one earned run while walking three batters. 

The North falls to 5-6-2 on the summer season and will look to get back in the win column at the Sluggers and Dingers tournament in the Tri-Cities on July 11 and July 12. 

Spokane 1 7 6 — 14 9 0 

The North 0 0 0 — 0 0 5 

PITCHING 

TN — M. Stevens: 3.0IP, 7H, 5R (4ER), 2BB, 1K. Wilson: 1.2IP, 4H, 5R (1ER), 3B, 0K. PR — Soza: 5.0IP, 2H, 1R (0ER), 0BB, 6K.  

BATTING 

HITS: TN — Turnbull 1, Frago 1. PR — Soza 2, Bell 2, A. Miller 2, Cromie 1, J. Miller 1, Akesson 1, Sanford 1, Stewart 1. 2B — Soza 1. 3B — Akesson 1. RBI: TN — None. PR — Bell 4, A. Miller 2, Cromie 1, Akesson 1, Sanford 1.