Lady Tigers go 1-for-4 at tourney

The Mountain Home Lady Tigers played tough in the Idaho Sporting Goods Softball Tournament over the weekend, but came way with just one win in four games.

Lewiston 15, Mountain Home 1

Lewiston used two big innings and took advantage of Mountain Home errors to roll up a 15-1, five-inning opening win of the tournament Friday afternoon.

The Lady Bengals scored six runs in the second and fifth innings. Mountain Home's lone run came in the fourth inning, as Kira Baker knocked in Kelly Elliott.

Heather Adams gave up nine runs in four innings, but just two of them were earned. McKenna Lewis pitched the fifth inning and gave up six runs, all unearned.

Mountain Home managed just four hits in the game, two by Kelly Elliott. C.J. Bish and Kira Baker had the other two. Bish's hit was a double.

"We had a bad start," said Mountain Home Lady Tiger head softball coach Ron Nicolosi of the Lewiston game. "But in fairness, the girls battled back and we tried to make a game of it, but our mistakes were just too much for us to overcome."

Mountain Home 14, Baker 10

A 10-run second inning was the difference for the Lady Tigers, as they beat Baker, Ore., 14-10, in five innings.

Baker got to Mountain Home starter McKenna Lewis for seven runs in the first inning, but the Lady Tigers erupted for 10 in the second and added four more in the fourth. They won 14-10 in five, with the game stopped by the time limit.

"They (Baker) put us in a deep hole early, but our girls battled back and hit the ball really well," said Coach Nicolosi. "We talked about heart before the game, and it would have been real easy for our girls to fold, but they showed the heart that they are capable of having, and came out with a really great victory."

Mountain Home had 13 hits in the game, led by Kelly Elliott with three, she also scored three runs. C.J. Bish, Kalleen Hodgerson, and Sarah Osborn all had two hits, Bish had a double and four RBIs, Hodgerson had a double, drove in three runs, and scored three, and Osborn drove in one. Taylor Reed, Morgan Vivier, McKenna Lewis and Madi Karst also had hits. Reed had three RBIs, Karst knocked in one. Ashten Harrigan also knocked in a run and scored two.

McKenna Lewis picked up the win, pitching four innings, with relief help from Heather Adams in the fifth. Lewis gave up all 10 runs, but just three were earned.

Vallivue 5, Mountain Home 2

Mountain Home faced Vallivue in their first game on Saturday and lost 5-2.

The Lady Falcons got to McKenna Lewis for five runs in the first inning, but she shut them out the rest of the way. Mountain Home finally scored two runs in the sixth inning and the game ended in the sixth due to the time limit.

"That first inning, we just started slow," said Coach Nicolosi. "The girls played well enough to get the win, but mistakes early, cost us. Vallivue, give them credit, they hung in there and kept those five on us and we just couldn't do what we needed to do to bounce back."

Taylor Reed, Heather Adams, Madi Karst, Kelly Elliott and Kira Baker had hits for Mountain Home. Baker drove in both runs and Adams had a double. McKenna Lewis went the distance for Mountain Home, giving up just five hits, and no runs after the first inning. Just three of the five runs were earned.

Timberline 9, Mountain Home 5

Mountain Home jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but was unable to hold on to it as the Lady Wolves scored four in the third, three in the fourth and two more in the fifth. They won in six innings, 9-5.

Taylor Reed, Morgan Vivier, Madi Karst, Kelly Elliott and Kalleen Hodgerson had hits for Mountain Home. Taylor and Hodgerson had doubles and Karst drove in three runs. Kira Baker also had an RBI. Heather Adams suffered the loss, despite giving up just three earned runs.

"Again, we had 'em," said Coach Nicolosi. "It was a 'W' right in the bank for us, but to Timberline's credit, they hit the ball and put the ball in play and some of them were key hits, but all in all, I think we learned a lot, and I think we improved, and did well, We brought up three girls from the JV and they did extremely well. McKenna (Lewis) could have easily won two games this weekend, and probably should have, but again, we saw some great things, and some improvement."

The Lady Tigers played Bishop Kelly on Tuesday. They are home on April 9 and 11 against Kuna and Middleton, and travel to Emmett on April 12.