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A smashing success

by Ethan Smith < br > Leader Staff
| April 13, 2007 12:00 AM

Vandeberg leads team with two home runs

While many baseball fields feature “park at your own risk” signs, Polson school officials might want to consider adding one to the softball fields after the Lady Pirates sent four dingers out of the park last week, including two that hit the scoreboard and a vehicle parked outside the left field fence.

The 21-5 slaughter over Eureka got into high gear in the bottom of the second when Jaelin Vandeberg jacked a 2-run bomb over the center field fence to make it 9-0, followed immediately by Amanda James’ home run on the next pitch.

Vandeberg then hit the top of the scoreboard in the fourth inning to make it 20-0, followed almost immediately by Kendra Woldstad’s first home run of the season in which she hit a car parked a few feet behind the fence.

However, the offensive onslaught overshadowed what was actually a great defensive game, as the Lady Pirates successfully worked a pickle, turned one double play and almost got a second, and had an outfield put-out at first, to boot.

Brittany Jones caught a foul pop-up along the first base dugout in the top of the first, and immediately fired to Lindsey Rafter to double off a Eureka runner.

In the second, Woldstad and Kyla McDonald successfully worked the pickle play to get Eureka ace Amy Roberts out in a rundown, before Woldstad had an incredible diving catch at second to end the inning.

In the top of the third, NaTesha Arlint recorded a 9-3 put-out from right field to get the runner on what should have been a sure hit. McDonald and Woldstad almost turned a 6-4-3 double play, with Rafter, later in the inning.

Vandeberg and McDonald finished 4-for-4, James was 3-for-3, Maggie Gordon was 2-for-2, and Dylen Zetterberg was 2-for-4. Jones, Arlint, and Rafter all had base knocks to help the team, including a double by Rafter — her second in as many games.

McDonald and Vandeberg led the team with three RBIs, followed by Zetterberg, Rafter, James, and Woldstad with two, and Jones and Gordon with one.

Zetterberg turned the game over to Sarah Newton, who rounded out the game with a strikout.

The team will travel to face a new-and-improved Columbia Falls team Thursday, before hosting Corvallis and Hamilton Saturday. While Eureka was a conference game, and Thursday’s is, Saturday’s games are non-conference.

Varsity games are at noon and 5 p.m. Saturday., with JV at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.