A 9-1 win over visiting Cedar Park Christian-Bothell Monday, April 23, lifted the South Whidbey High School softball team into a second-place tie with Archbishop Murphy in the Cascade Conference.
The victory also helped the Falcons hold on to the No. 1 1A seed into the district tournament.
2A Cedarcrest (8-0, 10-1) is the league leaders.
The Falcons (5-3, 8-4) challenge Cedarcrest in a doubleheader at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 25, in Duvall.
South Whidbey 9, Cedar Park Christian 1
Falcon pitcher Mackenzee Collins had another outstanding game, tossing a three-hitter with 16 strikeouts, no earned runs and only one walk. She took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and, at one point, retired 14 consecutive batters.
She was backed by a strong and advantageous offense that scored all nine of its runs over the first four innings.
Singles by Ari Marshall and Collins produced a run in the first inning
Then the Falcons tacked on four more runs in the second with the help of two errors, a walk and hits by Marshall, Natalie Wilmoth and Bekah Merrow.
Bella Northrup walked and eventually scored on a passed ball in the third inning.
South Whidbey finished its scoring with a three-run fourth behind walks to Marshall and Wilmoth and hits by Wilkie and Northrup.
Marshall finished with two hits, three runs and two RBI.
Wilkie added two hits, one a double.
Collins, Wilmoth, Northrup and Merrow registered the other Falcon hits.
The game was the first for new head coach Heather Collins, replacing Alexandra Walter, who stepped down for personal reasons last week.
Collins was pleased to see her team play with energy and excitement, adding “it was nice to see them be aggressive on the bases.”
She lauded the work of Marshall: “She had a nice game catching, throwing out a runner at third base.”
Mekenna Morley hustles to first base as Cedar Park Christian first baseman Andi Dill awaits the throw. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News Group)
Bella Northrup is safe at home on a passed ball just ahead of the tag of CPC pitcher Cheyenne Nelson. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News Group)
South Whidbey’s Melody Wilkie waits for a pitch from Cheyenne Nelson. (Photo by Jim Waller/Whidbey News Group)
