The Lady Vikings beat the University Prep Lady Pumas so handily that the 10 rule run was in effect halfway through the fifth inning, and the Lady Vikings won 14-1.

The Lady Vikings had a minimum of bobbled balls in the infield and outfield (errors) and had good clean catches between the basemen. Pitching was also solid, with Bobbie Lowry starting off on the mound and pitching for four innings. Lowry held the Lady Pumas scoreless with only four runners making it to first base and no runners making it to second. Then Adria Garcia relieved Lowry, and while she only saw one inning’s-worth of action, she struck out two Puma players.

Coach Scott Harris said, “It’s always important during the first game of the season to take the pulse of your team and I loved the pulse I saw; the attitude, the work, the skill level and the cameraderie took shape as the game progressed. My first read is pretty good on the team. I look forward to our team facing more robust challenges and I am very excited about what’s on the horizon. As well, I want to thank the community for their support. It really matters to the girls.”

In stats, Lanie Padbury was three for three with three stolen bases, three runs scored, and three RBI’s. Lindsey Anderson was two for three with a double and triple. Lowry had four RBIs. Sydney Harris was two for three with two stolen bases and two RBI’s while Alison O’Toole had three stolen bases.

“Defensively,” said Harris, “It’s always a good sign when your first two outs come off of a double play. We walked the first player, then Padbury tagged the runner going to first base, and then popped it over to her replacement short stop for a quick double play. It set the tone for the day.

“Brooke Bruland had a very steady glove all day. And we have a good outfield with a load of talent … Halley Parnell, Sydney Harris, Alison O’Toole haven’t been tested yet but there is a lot of depth there, so hopefully they will be tested soon.”

Orcas scored six runs in the first inning, two in the second inning, one in the third inning, zero in the fourth inning and ending the game in the fifth inning Orcas scored five more runs for a total of 14 runs. Orcas totaled 12 hits and one error (mishandling of the ball, fly or ground, by a player on the field).

The Lady Vikings play again Tuesday, March 24 at Nooksack Valley. Their Thursday, March 26 game is a home game against Rainier Christian at 3 pm. The junior varsity softball teams will play followed by the varsity softball teams.