Lady Vandals drop wild one at Smith Valley, 20-19

The Eureka County High School softball team started its season 0-5, including a 20-19 extra innings loss at Smith Valley on Friday, March 13. The Lady Vandals countered 13 runs by the Bulldogs in the first two innings with a 13-run fifth before falling in eight innings.

ECHS freshman Avery Berg laced a double and was 4-for-6 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Classmate Holly Sullivan drove in five runs with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.

Sophomores Brooklyn Edmo and Charleigh Osmotherly both had three hits in six at-bats and scored three runs each. One of Edmo’s hits was a double. 

Pitching was a problem for both teams, as junior Trinity Hudson walked 11, leading to 13 earned runs. Berg struck out four over three innings, allowing four earned runs.

The Bulldogs nearly plated 20 again in game two of the doubleheader, winning 19-8 thanks to a 12-run fifth inning. The Vandals led 8-7 going into the bottom of the fifth but were mercy-ruled.

“A lot of very coachable moments were had as the girls learn the game. Not having a feeder program for our youth is a challenge when they come to high school and have to hit the ground running on learning the rules,” ECHS head coach Lindsay Stith explained. “I’m proud of the girls who showed up because they challenged themselves with how they can push the boundaries and were able to face four different pitchers.” 

Pyramid Lake had its way with Eureka on Saturday, winning game one of a league doubleheader 12-2. Five of the Lakers’ runs were unearned, as the Vandals committed four errors in the field. Senior Kylee Patterson, junior Trinity Hudson and freshman Avery Berg had the three hits for the Lady Vandals.

In game two, Eureka jumped out to a 5-2 lead after one inning of play, but the Lakers tied it up in the second. Berg smacked a double that drove in a run. She’d be driven in by fellow freshman Holly Sullivan, who also pitched two innings of no-hit ball, allowing just one run on three walks. 

“In my coaching at Eureka, we have not been able to put numbers on the board with Pyramid, and we were able to do that this weekend,” Stith informed. “Can’t wait to watch the continued growth with the Lady Vandals as we move into a small break. We will hit the ground running in April with our next matchups.”

Eureka (0-5, 0-5) will host Mineral County (1-1) on April 3 at noon and 2 p.m.