It’s not the time to be thinking about a 180-degree turnaround, but the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the cookies sure tasted better after the game.
For the past two seasons, the Oak Harbor softball team has had its problems, winning just a single game in 40 outings.
All that struggling came to an end Wednesday afternoon as the Wildcats equaled their two-year victory total by pounding Mariner 10-0 in a game called after five innings on the 10-run mercy rule.
“If ever a team needed a ‘W’ to lead off the season, it was us,” coach Craig Nurvic said with a smile after the victory celebration.
The Wildcats put five runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning and that was all pitcher Kayla Ratliff needed.
The sophomore twirler kept the Marauders off balance, moving the ball around and changing speeds, giving up just three hits while walking one and striking out seven.
“I’ve been working on my pitching since August and all that practice paid off,” Ratliff said. “I was a little bit nervous at the start of the game but after a couple of innings I settled down.”
In the first inning, Kayla Carrothers and Lindsey Bear hit back-to-back singles with one out. Ratliff was safe on a fielder’s choice forcing Carrothers at third base for the second out, but Brittney Fritch came through with a line drive single over the shortstop’s head on a 3-2 pitch to plate Oak Harbor’s first two runs.
“I’ve been working on my hitting,” she said. “Being a senior, I think it’s going to be a lot better and we are going to win a lot more games this year.”
Fritch finished the game with two hits and a pair of RBI.
Courtney Brown drew a walk to keep the Wildcats’ first inning going and Audrey Miller singled home Fritch with the third run. Kim Mowbray followed with another single to score the fourth run and Miller scored on a throwing error.
Mowbray also had two hits as part of the Wildcats’ 10-hit attack.
By the time the damp dirt had settled, 10 batters had come to the plate and Oak Harbor was in the driver’s seat leading 5-0.
The Wildcats added another run in the second inning on a walk, a stolen base and a throwing error and made the score 8-0 in the bottom of the third on a two-out throwing error.
Oak Harbor put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning on singles by Ratliff and Fritch, a fielder’s choice and an RBI single by Alexis Marquis.
“People had that little look in their eyes today and I was very proud of them,” coach Nurvic said. “They did an outstanding job and it was a tremendous win for us.”
Who knows what might happen as the season progresses, but the Oak Harbor boys basketball team turned things around in a big way this year after a couple of dismal seasons. The way the softball team played in its first game, 2007 looks very promising.
Oak Harbor played at Lynnwood Friday and opens WesCo North action Monday hosting Cascade in a 4 p.m. game.
Oak Harbor 10, Mariner 0
Mariner 000 00 — 0 3 5
Oak Harbor 512 2x — 10 10 3
Whitney McFarland and Angelina Monfiletto; Kayla Ratliff and Kayla Carrothers, Nikki Mowbray (5). W — Ratliff. L — McFarland.
