Eagles got Great Pitching in Doubleheader

Their pitching was great in both games, but the Eagles' offense varied from blazing to blah during a softball doubleheader split Saturday in Coalinga.

Siskiyous scored 11 runs on 9 hits and Gracie Copeland spun a 4-hit shutout in the opener, which ended after 5 innings. In the 7-inning second game, West Hills Coalinga had just 2 hits, while the Eagles had one in a 1-0 loss.

With their own field covered in snow, the Eagles headed south to play four preseason games. They lost both ends of a twinbill Friday at College of the Sequoias, 8-0 and 8-7. Sequoias finished the week on an 8-game winning streak and an 11-4 record.

In Saturday's 11-0 win at West Hills Coalinga, Copeland walked 1, struck out 5, and faced just three batters over the minimum.

Abigail Wolf, playing rightfield, had a double, a single, and 4 runs batted in, while Maddalyn Fullenwider, playing first base, doubled, singled, drove in a run, and scored 3 times. Fullenwider was also part of a double play started by Olivia Dedmon at third base.

Alexis Figueroa and Halliday Hubbard both singled and scored twice; and Nevaeh Atchley and Kristina Lesher both singled, walked, stole a base, and scored a run.

Hubbard had the Eagles' only hit and stole a base in game two, Eva Versloot drew a walk, and Wolf had a sacrifice. The Eagles best method for reaching base in the nightcap was getting hit by a pitch, which happened three times.

West Hills Coalinga (now 7-8 in the preseason) scored the game's only run in the second inning off pitcher Kaitlin Estes, who allowed 1 hit in 4 innings and walked 3. Fullenwider pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing 1 hit and striking out 1. Leea Brown got the final out.

Figueroa had the Eagles' only hit in their 8-0 loss at Sequoias, a game that ended after 5 innings.

In the 7-inning second game at Sequoias, the Eagles scored 5 runs in the top of the 6^th to tie the score at 7-7, but Sequoias scored the winning run in the bottom of the 6^th.

Four Eagles had 2 hits each including Figueroa, who had a 2-run single in the 3^rd and a 2-run triple in the 6^th.

Hubbard went 2 for 4, scored twice, and drove in Wolf with a single up the middle for the first run in the 6^th. Shyla Mead followed with one of her 2 hits, which drove in Atchley, who also had 2 hits. Hubbard advanced to third on Mead's single, then scored on an error.

Fullenwider walked 3 times and scored twice, and Hubbard, Wolf, and Atchley had one stolen base each.

The Eagles (3-8) open Golden Valley Conference play on the road this Friday and Saturday with doubleheaders against the top two GVC teams so far, Redwoods (8-6) and Butte (12-5).

By Steve Gerace