With W.F. West softball only able to have two non-league games this season, Bearcat coach Caty Lieseke wanted to take advantage of the limited opportunity and face some stiff competition.
W.F. West certainly got a worthy opponent in its season opener at home Wednesday as the Bearcats took a 2-0 loss to Class 4A Olympia.
“We always want to make the most out of non-league games,” Lieseke said. “(Olympia) has some pieces and they have a pretty good pitcher.”
In the season-opening tuneup, the Bearcats struggled to find offense against Bears’ ace Sami Potvin, who finished with 11 strikeouts. The Bearcats mustered just two hits on the day; one from junior second baseman Brielle Etter and the other from transfer Staysha Fluetsch.
The Bears struck early, plating both their runs in the first and second innings.
An Olympia batter walked in the first inning then advanced on an error before scoring on a groundball to go up 1-0. In the second, a Bear batter singled to right field then later scored after some mental mistakes by the Bearcats to make it 2-0.
“We stayed in the game the whole time and we didn’t waste at-bats,” Lieseke said. “Our best defensive effort was in the second half, and we had the ability to come back in the last inning.”
Bearcat ace Kamy Dacus fanned nine batters in seven innings.
W.F. West (0-1) will look to bounce back when it heads to Rochester on Monday for a rematch of last season’s district championship.
