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PHOTO BY ROCKY ROSS

I GOT IT. Katelin Sisk fields a groundball for Stadium in the Tigers 11-1 victory over the Bellarmine Lions. Sisk went 2-4 with 4 RBIs in the contest.

Stadium rebounds against Bellarmine

By Ben Miller

The Stadium Tigers saw their undefeated season come to a disappointing end May 2 against Steilacoom. So in their game against the Bellarmine Lions May 6, they were looking to rebound before heading into the playoffs.

They did exactly that, and in a big way. Stadium scored an 11-1, five-inning victory over the Lions to clinch an undefeated record in Narrows League play and take a little momentum into the Narrows League playoffs.

“We had some better energy than we ended last week,” said Tigers coach Lynn Batchelder. “The kids rebounded from the game against Steilacoom and came out with some enthusiasm for their seniors on senior day.”

Stadium opened things up in the top of the first, when its first four batters all came around to score. Becca Gale reached first on an error to start the inning, and catcher Sarah Glennon rounded to second on a single, putting runners on second and third for Jordyn Kurtz.

Kurtz then hit a ball right to the Bellarmine second baseman, who threw home to try and catch Gale trying to score. Gale, however, was safe and Kurtz reached first on the fielder’s choice. First baseman Katelin Sisk came up two batters later with a big hit, slamming a single to the right side to drive in the courtesy runners for Kurtz and Glennon to take a 3-0 lead.

Devynne Nelons capped the scoring in the inning when she scored from third on an error by the Bellarmine right fielder.

After neither team scored in the second, Bellarmine was able to get itself on the board in the top of the third inning. With one out, first baseman Alexis North shot a triple down the first baseline. Alex Pollasho then hit a line drive right to Kurtz on the mound, who threw the ball away trying to get North at third. North scored on the error, cutting the lead to 4-1.

That was, however, the only time that Bellarmine would score in the game.

In the bottom of the third, the Tigers extended their lead. After the Lions recorded the first two outs of the inning, four straight hits led to three runs for Stadium. Heidy Wells and Anna Dudley hit back-to-back singles, and Stephanie Reddaway drove Wells in from second on a bloop double.

Gale, batting for the third time in three innings, then knocked a double up the middle to score Dudley and Reddaway from first and second. Gale finished the game hitting 1-3 with two runs and two RBIs.

Lauren Schiller shifted from second base to the pitching mound for Bellarmine in the bottom of the fourth. She replaced Anna Olson and gave up just a walk in the bottom of the fourth to hold the Tigers scoreless in that inning.

That would not be the case, however, in the bottom of the fifth inning. With the 10-run mercy rule looming with the score at 7-1, Wells and Dudley both drew walks to leadoff the inning. Following a pop out by Reddaway, Gale drew a walk of her own to load the bases. A fielder’s choice by Glennon drove in Wells from third.

After Kurtz walked to reload the bases and Nelons walked to send in Gale from third, Sisk sent a single up the middle, scoring Kurtz and Gale to end the ballgame, 11-1.

“It helped us refocus,” Batchelder said. “I think the kids are on the right path and we keep our focus and we keep the errors down, we’ll be very competitive.”

The Tigers will next face Wilson May 9 in the Narrows League playoffs, with the winner earning the top seed to districts. “It’s going to be a good game for both of us to head into the playoffs,” Batchelder said. “Whether you’re a one seed or a two seed, quite frankly it doesn’t matter if you’re the six seed, you need to go into districts playing well.”

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