BAINBRIDGE – The Spartans stomped the Braves 7-4 in girls varsity fastpitch softball Monday in Bainbridge’s first return to the field since Spring Break.
Bishop Blanchet got a first inning welcome to the Rock from Malia Peato and Sara Colley.
The two Spartans helped BHS to an early lead that Bainbridge never gave up in Tuesday’s Metro League matchup.
The Spartans jumped to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Tiana Rabang led off with a perfect bunt single, stole second, then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Maddie Loverich drew a one-out walk and advanced to second on an uncontested steal, and Peato followed as she drove in Rabang with the first run on an infield ground out.
A two-out double by Colley brought in Loverich with the second run.
Bainbridge extended its lead to 5-0 in the second.
Sullivan and Olivia Wikstrom started the inning with back-to-back singles. A two-out walk by Baker loaded the bases. Loverich then doubled to the left field fence to bring Sullivan and Wikstrom across the plate.
Baker later scored on a wild pitch.
The Braves crept back with two runs in the third. Two hit batters and two wild pitches by Colley put runners on second and third.
A ground out to right field brought in one run (Yes, you read that correctly — a sharp ground ball through between first and second was cleanly fielded by Rabang in right field. Her throw to first beat the runner.)
Greta Geivlit brought the second run in with a two-out single.
Bainbridge added a run in the fourth to make it 6-2.
Rabang led off with a walk. Baker singled. Loverich drove in Rabang for her third RBI of the game. But an alert double play by the Bishop Blanchet second baseman snuffed out a potential big inning for the Spartans.
Bishop Blanchet added a run in the fifth on a hit batter, a wild pitch and Gianna Marchese’s double. (Statistical oddity: How many times have you seen a game where three hit batters scored a team’s first three runs?)
The Spartans pushed the lead back to four with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Jenna Tabisola walked, Abby Sullivan bunted Tabisola to second. Two wild pitches brought Tabisola around to make the score 7-3.
Blanchet closed out the scoring in the seventh with a single run on a double and a two-base error to make the final, 7-4.
Peato picked up her first pitching win, and went four innings with three hits and two runs (one earned). She struck out six.
Loverich finished with 3-for-3 batting, a double, three RBIs, stolen base and a run.
Rabang went 1-for-3, with a stolen base and two runs.
Fellow Spartans Kensey Baker was 1-for-2; Colley, 1-for-4 with a double and RBI; and Abby Sullivan, 1-for-1 with two sacrifice bunts and a run.
The win pushed Bainbridge to a 6-1 overall record (5-0 Metro League).
Next up for the Spartans: Chief Sealth at 4 p.m. Monday, April 17 at the Bainbridge softball field.
