The pitching duo of Bailey LeBreton and Sierra Watson did top work in the circle and tacked on 460-feet worth of home runs to vault The Dalles softball team to wins of 8-1 and 9-8 in a two-game sweep of Hermiston Saturday at 16th Street Ballpark.
With those two Columbia River Conference wins, the Riverhawks move into third place, just two games behind Hood River Valley and Pendleton for the top two slots in the league standings.
“I know I have said it before, but I am saying it again, I think this team is coming together,” said TD head coach Steve Garrett. “You had players stealing bases, sacrifice bunting, playing different positions, all for the team. That is what you need if you are going to make a run at this thing. We are in a good spot right now. We just need to keep it going.”
The Dalles jumped out to a 9-3 lead in the second game, but Hermiston chipped away with four in the fifth inning to inch to within a 9-7 margin.
LeBreton wiggled out of a bases-loaded, no-out situation in the sixth, getting three outs on a popout, a strikeout and a flyout to keep the Hawks ahead, 9-7.
Things got dicey in the top of the seventh, as Hermiston added a single run on an error, two walks and a run-scoring single by Ellery Jones.
LeBreton managed to escape another bases-loaded jam by inducing a game-ending popout to Hermiston’s cleanup hitter Bailee Noland for the final out.
Watson tossed the first five innings and struck out four, walked three and hit four batters.
The senior allowed seven runs, five earned, on five hits to earn the win.
LeBreton gave up an unearned run on three hits and struck out two and walked two to lock down the save.
Kilee Hoylman rattled off three hits and two runs scored to pace The Dalles’ seven-hit effort.
Lauryn Belanger was 2 for 3 with a run, Bradford had two hits, one a triple, a walk and two RBIs, and Kailin Hoylman went 2 for 4 with a run and an RBI.
Jessika Nanez added a hit, a run, a stolen base and an RBI, LeBreton smacked a third-inning solo home run, and Watson had two hits, one a solo home run, the second of back-to-back, stole two bases, scored a run and drove in two.
In the opening game, TD busted loose for seven first-inning runs, sparked by RBI singles from LeBreton and Watson, a two-run double by Kilee Hoylman and an RBI fielder’s choice from Ella Salvatori and an RBI walk by Jodi Thomasian in what was an impressive 8-1 victory.
LeBreton drove in the team’s final run on an RBI sacrifice fly in the third, driving in Kathryn Bradford, who led off the inning with a single.
In all, the Riverhawks pounded out 11 hits, as both Thomasian and Watson went 2 for 3 with a walk, a run and an RBI.
Kilee Hoylman was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, Bradford had two hits and scored twice, and LeBreton ended up going 1 for 3 with a run scored and two RBIs.
The Dalles (3-14 overall, 2-3 league) hosts Hermiston (6-12, 0-5) at 4:30 p.m. tonight.
On Saturday, the Riverhawks host No. 6-ranked Hood River Valley (10-8, 4-1) for a doubleheader starting at noon.
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