Mac Softball: Kreft, Pesina-Wade, Stephens go deep in 18-3 smothering of Newberg
A parade of home runs helped the No. 15-ranked Grizzlies (9-9, 3-3) topple No. 30-ranked Yamhill County rival Newberg (9-11, 1-5) on Friday as Mac got back on track with an 18-3 road victory.
There were five total round-trippers in the game.
The long balls came later in the day as Mac took an early 4-0 lead with a pair of singles from seniors Dakota Mitsche and Ava Fleischman, and an RBI double from freshman Fiona Kreft.
Newberg’s Lucy Kitchen struck back in the bottom half of the first inning, knocking a two-run blast over the centerfield wall to make the score 4-2.
Escaping trouble, the Grizzlies added one more run in the second on a Tiger error before the floodgates opened in the third.
Taking advantage of walks and working station to station with sacrifice bunts and base hits, Mac jumped ahead 10-2 while picking apart the Tigers. Mitsche, Fleishman, Kreft and Alex Bates all secured RBIs in the inning.
Bates plated Mac’s 10th run, driving in Fleischman from second base on a line drive to left field. Sophomore Genevieve Thomas followed with a base hit of her own, forcing a Newberg pitching change and loading the bases with two outs for Stephens.
The right-hander jumped on the first pitch thrown by Newberg’s Charlotte Shoop, driving it over the left field wall for a grand slam to extend the lead to 14-2.
From there, the dinger dominated.
Newberg’s Elliot Nix popped a solo shot over the wall in the bottom half, but Mac responded with two of their own in the fourth.
Kreft was responsible for the first, driving home three runs with a no-doubter to centerfield on a waist-high pitch. Two batters later, the left-handed Pesina-Wade pulled a ball over the right field wall to cap the Grizzlies’ scoring.
Kreft led Mac’s 15-hit outburst with a 3-for-5 performance that included three runs scored and five RBIs. Taylor Terry was the only other Grizzly to score thrice. She also walked three times and secured a single.
Fleischman (2-for-5, 2 RBIs), Pesina-Wade (2-for-3, RBI, BB), Thomas (2-for-3, RBI), Stephens (1-for-3, 4 RBIs) and Bates (1-for-3, RBI) scored two runs each.
Mac also stole seven bases. Terry nabbed three, Thomas took two and Fleischman and Mitsche each had one.
In the circle, sophomore Mattea Anderson started and pitched one frame. She allowed three hits, two runs and a walk while striking out one Tiger. Rylan Carton pitched four innings in relief, striking out three while surrendering just three hits and one run.
The Grizzlies continue Pacific Conference play on Tuesday with a 5 p.m. home start versus No. 20 Century (11-8, 1-5) followed by a rematch on the road versus No. 3 Forest Grove (17-2, 6-0) on Wednesday. Mac then hosts No. 6 Glencoe (16-4, 4-2) on Friday at 5 p.m.
Comments