Lady Broncos split doubleheader games against Mary Walker

The Lind-Ritzville/Sprague Lady Broncos traveled on Tuesday, April 18, to face Mary Walker in a league doubleheader.

Head Coach Todd O’Brien said he expected it to be a difficult game due to Mary Walker’s ranking in the division and strong hitting abilities in previous games.

The Lady Broncos began the game strong, making solid contact at the plate and showcasing improvement on defense.

The teams competed well in the first half of the game and the score remained close. O’Brien said pitcher Emma Aldrich began to elevate her pitches as she began walking batters.

O’Brien said reducing the number of walks is something the team will need to work on in order to prevent opponents from scoring runs. The LRS team gave up nine walks, he added.

The Lady Broncos remained strong on defense and were quick to make three outs in an attempt to remain in the lead. They showcased improvement on the field by eliminating fielding and throwing errors during the game, said O’Brien.

The team made solid contact with the ball at the plate in an attempt to score runs and claim the lead. Alarah Pierce-Pulliam continued her 10 game hitting streak by claiming two singles in the game.

Tessa O’Brien, Lacey Miller and Alisha Baker claimed two singles. Hannah Brittain had one single and Emily Kinney hit a single and a double.

The team scores were close near the end of the game as Mary Walker scored one run in the sixth and seventh innings to take a one run lead.

O’Brien said the LRS team lead off the bottom of the seventh with Kinney hitting a base hit and Aldrich taking a walk to move her into a scoring position.

Baker hit a single to advance Kinny to third base with one out. O’Brien said pinch hitter Cameron Weber then hit the ball into play to bring Kinney home and score the winning run.

The Lady Broncos claimed the win 7-6.

O’Brien said he is very pleased with how the team performed in the final inning.

“This is what we have been working on in practice,” he explained. “Cameron came to the plate in a tough spot and put the ball in play. That’s what we need in those situations.”

Freshman Cailey Vallone pitched the second game. O’Brien said Vallone did well on the mound only allowing nine hits and four walks.

He said the team played strong in the first half of the game and continued to make contact with the ball.

Pierce-Pulliam claimed two singles, while Tessa, Emily Rosen, Kinney, Miller and Baker each had one.

The teams went back and forth in scoring throughout the first half of the game and the Lady Broncos showcased determination in an attempt to claim the second win.

Mary Walker struggled to earn runs as the Lady Broncos were quick to make three outs to end the offensive threat.

The LRS team took a one run lead in the seventh inning. O’Brien said the team’s defense began to lack strength as they made multiple fielding and throwing errors.

The Lady Broncos allowed Mary Walker to claim six runs in the seventh inning off three errors, he explained.

The scoring gap affected the Lady Broncos’ confidence on offense and they lost to Mary Walker 4-9.

“When pressure builds mistakes happen and they seem to become contagious,” said O’Brien about the defensive errors in the seventh inning.

Despite the loss, O’Brien said overall the games were a good showing for the team and they will work on improving ball handling skills and basic fundamentals when under pressure.

The Lady Broncos are currently in first place for the southern region of the Northeast 2B Division.

O’Brien said the team needed to play tough in the game against Tekoa-Rosalia on Tuesday, April 25, in order to remain at the top of the division.

After playing Tekoa-Rosalia in previous games, he said they expect the team’s pitcher to throw slower pitches, and they will work on making contact with the ball early and often to prepare.

Once they become familiar with the pitching style, he anticipated the Lady Broncos to be successful in hitting during the game.