Opening its season up at Rec Park in Chehalis, the Centralia College softball team split its opening doubleheader, defeating Pierce in a barnburner, 21-20, before falling to Edmonds 9-1 in the second game.
In some poor weather, Trailblazer starter Paige Bryant had a tough start in the circle, giving up nine runs in the first inning before the Blazer offense punched back for two in the bottom of the inning. The Blazers added another 11 runs in the third, and the game went back and forth from there.
Shortened to five innings due to weather and just the length of the game, Centralia won in the fifth off a walk off from Sydney Yates.
Centralia High School alum Ella Orr went 4 for 4, with two singles and two doubles in her first collegiate start, and Yates had four hits on the day, including the walk off. Taylor Shelton, Iz Shelton, and former Pe Ell-Willapa Valley standout Ava Bush also had strong days with multiple hits. Bryant earned the win in the circle.
In the second game, the Blazers couldn’t find their same offensive mojo, falling 9-1.
“Edmonds is a scrappy team who scored every inning,” CC coach Payton Pocklington said. “We ran out of bats in Game 2.”
Taylor Shelton absorbed the loss in the circle, and Lexi Walker stepped in and threw well, per Pocklington. Haylee Vogele led the team with two hits and Kylie Baker and Yates each had a hit.
