SB: BRUISIN' BULLDOGS

by Brandon Hansen & Sports Editor
| May 10, 2012 10:00 AM

DEER LODGE — Despite playing all road games throughout the week for the first time this season, MAC softball continued to roll along as a major power in Class B/C softball and improved its record to 14-2 with wins over Corvallis, Plains and Deer Lodge.

The Lady Bulldogs started the week on Thursday with an impressive 8-2 road victory over Class A Corvallis. Despite trailing 2-0 early, MAC bounced back in the final four innings to score eight unanswered runs.

“We had a few hits and a few stolen bases and took advantage of that,” coach Susan Weaselhead said. “It was good that the girls had to tighten up their defense and get their bats going.”

Corvallis also committed six errors in the game, while pitcher Loren Erickson held them to five hits. MAC notched 10 hits, with Sara Nerby and Alyssa Doty both having multi-hit games. Doty swatted two doubles while Nerby had a triple. Doty also drove in a run.

Half of MAC’s hits in the game were doubles. Nerby, Erickson and Sahriha Camacho all had doubles to go along with Doty.

“They have a nice little pitcher and we had to adjust,” Weaselhead said. “It was nice to see the different pitching style and the girls really did well with that.”

MAC travelled down to Plains on Friday and handed the Trotters’ a doubleheader sweep by scores of 8-2 and 10-1. In the first game, MAC found themselves tied 2-2 with Plains but rattled off six runs after the third inning to run away with the win.

“Plains had a couple of good hitters and one of them had an outside of the park home run but my outfield did an excellent job and again we got the bats going,” Weaselhead said.

The Lady Bulldogs got doubles by Kinley Pope and Erickson. Erickson also drove in two runs.

In the second game, MAC led just 2-1 after three and a half innings, but scored three in the fourth and five in the sixth en route to a 10-1 victory. The Lady Bulldogs got home runs from Pope and Emily Charlo.

Catcher Alyssa Doty continued her hot hitting streak and finished the game 3-for-4 with a double. Nerby and Camacho both had multi-hit games too.

In Deer Lodge on Saturday, MAC picked up another double digit victory against a Western B/C conference foe with a 15-5 win over Deer Lodge on Saturday. Emyli Gillingham went 2-for-3 with a double and drove in three runs to lead the Lady Bulldogs despite chilly conditions.

Things were tight in the beginning, with both teams tied 1-1, but like all their previous games last week, MAC’s bats awoke and gave Deer Lodge a nightmare in the form of 14 runs in the final three innings.

“Their catcher is really excellent but we just came alive once again in the fifth inning,” Weaselhead said.

Nerby, Doty and Janeal McDonald all had RBIs for the Lady Bulldogs.

MAC had 10 hits as a team.

“We had four good games,” Weaselhead said. “We had a variety of situations and the girls really focused hard despite a lot of traveling. It was definitely a long week for them, but it was a test for them because divisionals is going to be in a row like that too.”

MAC will host senior day this Saturday with a doubleheader against Eureka, beginning at noon.

MAC 8, CORV. 2

M - 000 - 230 - 3 - 8

C - 002 - 000 - 0 - 2

MAC - 10 hits, 2 errors. Corvallis - 5 hits, 6 errors

Lady Bulldogs batting - Sara Nerby 2-4, Erickson 1-4, Doty 2-3, Kinley Pope 1-3, Janeal McDonald 1-4, Serena Long 1-4, Sahriha Camacho 1-3, Connor Smith 0-2, Emilie Charlo 0-0, Emyli Gillingham 1-3, Carley Elverud 0-0. Doubles - Nerby, Erickson, Doty 2, Camacho. Triples - Nerby, Doty. RBIs - Doty.

LB Pitching - Erickson (complete game)

MAC 8, PLAINS 2

M - 200 - 132 - 0 - 8

P - 020 - 000 - 0 - 2

MAC - 6 hits, 3 errors. Plains - 6 hits, 10 errors

Lady Bulldogs batting - Sara Nerby 0-4, Erickson 2-3, Doty 2-4, Kinley Pope 1-4, Janeal McDonald 0-4, Serena Long 0-3, Connor Smith 0-2, Emilie Charlo 0-1, Emyli Gillingham 0-2. Doubles - Pope, Erickson. RBIs - Erickson 2, Pope, McDonald.

LB Pitching - Erickson (complete game)

MAC 10, PLAINS 1

P - 000 - 001 - 0 - 1

M - 110 - 305 - x - 10

Plains - 2 hit, 6 errors. MAC - 10 hits, 1 error

Lady Bulldogs batting - Sara Nerby 2-3, Loren Erickson 0-4, Doty 3-4, Pope 1-3, McDonald 1-2, Serena Long 0-4, Sahriha Camacho 2-4, Trinda Foust 0-2, Courtney Charlo 0-1, Emily Charlo 1-3. 2B – Doty. HR – Pope, E. Charlo. RBIs – Nerby, K. Pope 2, Camacho, E. Charlo.

LB Pitching - Loren Erickson (complete game)

MAC 15, D-LODGE 3

M - 001 - 266 - 15

D - 001 - 220 - 5

MAC - 10 hits, 3 errors. Deer Lodge - 10 hits, 4 errors

Lady Bulldogs batting - Sara Nerby 1-4, Loren Erickson 1-3, Doty 1-5, Kinley Pope 0-2, Janeal McDonald 1-2, Carley Elverud 1-1, Serena Long 2-4, Sahriha Camacho 0-2, Courtney Charlo 0-1, Connor Smith 1-2, Emyli Gillingham 2-3. Doubles - Gillingham, McDonald, Doty, Smith, Erickson. RBIs - Gillingham 3, Nerby, Elverud 2, Doty, McDonald.

LB Pitching - Loren Erickson (complete game)