Lady Tigers score a pair of wins

After seeing their losing skid reach four against Kuna, the Mountain Home Lady Tigers bounced back into the win column with impressive wins over Caldwell and Nampa last week.

Kuna 6

Mountain Home 2

The Lady Tigers dropped their fourth straight ball game last Tuesday, losing to Kuna, 6-2, at Mountain Home.

The Lady Kavemen only out-hit Mountain Home 5-4, but took advantage of errors and walks to score six runs off Lady Tiger pitcher Ali Hillman, who dropped to 6-6 on the season. Hillman struck out five and walked eight batters.

At the plate, Mountain Home got doubles from Kim Hamilton and Sheena Nelsen, and singles by Brei Draper and Ashley Kipp, but none in the same inning.

"We got some nice hits, but we're not stringing them together, and a couple errors here and there and they're running around the bases on us," said Mountain Home softball coach Joy Memmelaar after the game. "Hopefully we'll see them at the district tournament and have a little different outcome and a little better showing."

Mountain Home 7

Caldwell 1

Mountain Home went to Caldwell last Thursday hoping to put an end to a conference losing skid that had reached four straight, and taken them from the top of the league standings at 3-0, to the middle of the pack at 3-4.

Things looked a bit bleak early, as Laura Harry tripled and scored in the first to give Caldwell a 1-0 lead, and Lady Cougar pitcher Ashley Wolff set down the Lady Tigers in order in the first three innings.

Then in the top of the fourth, with two out, Ashley Kipp doubled for the first hit off Wolff. Ali Hillman followed with a double that scored Kipp and tied the game at 1-1. Hillman then scored when a pick-off throw went past the third baseman into the left field corner, and Mountain Home led, 2-1.

Mountain Home scored two more in the fifth as the Lady Cougars threw the ball around in the infield, and added another unearned run in the sixth. A two-run triple by Brei Draper put the Lady Tigers up 7-1 in the seventh.

Ali Hillman struck out six and scattered five hits, getting good defense behind her to improve to 7-6 on the season. Hillman had two doubles and scored three runs. Sheena Nelson had two hits, Brei Draper a triple, Ashley Kipp a double, and Dani Sloderbeck and Kim Hamilton also had hits.

Coach Memmelaar indicated in radio comments after the game, that her Lady Tigers drive to win came the day before at practice following their loss to Kuna on Tuesday.

"They were really ready yesterday (Wednesday) to get out of their slump and they worked really hard and it showed today. Ali pitched a beautiful game and everything was right there for them."

Mountain Home 6

Nampa 0

Ali Hillman pitched her third shutout of the season last Friday as the Lady Tigers used timely hitting and Nampa errors to down the Lady Bulldogs at Mountain Home.

Brei Draper and Sammy Dodge both had doubles and two RBIs. Ali Hillman had two hits and drove in a run. Kim Hamilton and Ashley Kipp also had hits and Liz Griffeath had an RBI.

Hillman struck out 11, walked two and scattered four hits in improving to 8-6 on the season, and lowered her earned run average (ERA) to 2.33.

"It was another nice win," said Coach Memmelaar of the Nampa game. "The girls played well. Each progressive inning was better and better and we started hitting and took advantage of some Nampa errors to score some runs."

The Lady Tigers improved to 10-7 overall, and 5-4 in conference play. They hosted Skyview yesterday (Tuesday), travel to Bishop Kelly tomorrow (Thursday), and will resume the home game with Bishop Kelly that was suspended by rain and hail on April 4 on Saturday starting at 4 p.m. The Lady Tigers will be batting in the bottom of the third, trailing in the game, 6-0.

The Lady Tigers conclude their regular season schedule at home the following week against Emmett and Vallivue. "We told the girls we want to end the regular season at .500 or better in conference and get in the top four," said Memmelaar. "If they keep their focus like they have these last two games, they should be all right."