Sierra Watson scored two runs and Jodi Thomasian added a two-run double, as No. 7-ranked The Dalles scored a 6-2 win over Hermiston Tuesday in Columbia River Conference softball play in Hermiston.
TD scored a run each in the first two innings, before exploding for four runs in the top of the third.
“We followed our game plan by taking it to them early,” said TD head coach Steve Garrett.
Morgan Goslin and Maddy Bradford jumpstarted the third-inning rally with back-to-back singles.
After a sacrifice bunt by Grace Helyer moved the runners into scoring position, Thomasian laced a two-run double to extend the Riverhawk lead to 4-0.
Lori Cimmiyotti moved Thomasian to third base on a sacrifice and Watson drove in Thomasian with a run-scoring single.
Kailin Hoylman singled to put runners on the corners, and Watson capped the rally by scoring from third base on an error to run the Hawk lead to 6-0.
Hermiston scored one run in the fourth and added another run in the fifth inning to get to within 6-2, but Watson retired seven of the final eight batters she faced to earn the save.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Watson came on in relief of Bradford, the starter and faced a bases-loaded jam with TD up 6-2.
Watson went to a full count against Hermiston’s Breyanna Naylor, but induced an inning-ending flyout to right field to retire the side and keep the Bulldogs at bay.
“Sierra came on to get the final out in the fifth and threw two shutout innings in relief,” Garrett said. “A great, clutch performance.”
Hermiston (6-10 overall, 0-3 league) left eight runners on base.
Bradford scattered three hits and walked six in her 4 2/3 innings of work and struck out three.
Ruthie Ford went 2 for 4 with a run scored, Bradford added two hits, a walk and a run and Helyer went 0 for 1 with two walks and a sacrifice for the Riverhawks, who totaled 10 hits from eight of their nine batters.
The Dalles (11-5, 3-0) travels to No. 6 Pendleton (9-7, 3-0) for a doubleheader at noon Saturday.
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