Lady Vandals off to quick start

The Eureka County High softball team picked up right where last year’s squad left off, going 4-0 and winning the Panther Classic tournament last weekend in Alamo. The Lady Vandals, who lost seven seniors from last year’s state runner-up team, still return 10 players to a team that is expected to compete for another division title in the tough Division IV Northern league.

The girls started the weekend off with a 21-1 romping of Moapa Valley. Eureka recorded 23 hits in the win including four from starting pitcher Annette Hayward. The sophomore pitched a complete game, and scored three runs and added two rbi’s at the plate. Taylor Usry and Angela Porter had three hits apiece in the win. Bridgette Bacon and Porter both had a homerun, while Amanda Ketzenberg and Reba Skinner knocked in three.

Sophomore C.C. Brown did it all for the Lady Vandals in their 2-1 win later that day over a non-varsity opponent. Brown finished 2-3 with a homerun, and pitched seven innings of one-run ball for the win.

The Lady Vandals rounded out the tournament on Saturday with a pair of wins over host Pahranagat Valley. Brown was dominant in the circle again for Eureka in the first game, striking out 15 in her second consecutive complete game to guide her team to a 7-4 win. Bacon connected with three hits in the win.

In a wild finale against the Lady Panthers, Eureka jumped out to a 12-1 lead after two and a half innings, but had to hold off a spirited Pahranagat Valley comeback. The Lady Vandals won the game 12-8. Junior Taylor Anderson had two doubles and three runs scored for Eureka, who recorded 13 hits in the victory.

The Lady Vandals (4-0) travel to Coleville Saturday for a pair of games against the Wolves.