Lady Eagles get solid start to softball season

The Lady Eagles got off to a solid start this past weekend in the Colorado River Invitational in Needles, California, posting a 4-2 mark over the three-day stretch, dropping contests to only Division I opponents Legacy and Silverado.

“It was a good first week overall,” Boulder City head coach Angelica Moorhead said. “We did some things well and then there were some things we needed to improve upon. We’ll get to where we want to be.”

Losing to eventual champion Legacy 3-1 in their final game of the season, the Lady Eagles saw first-hand the steps they must take to overcome strong pitching, with the Longhorns touting what many in the state believe to be the hardest-throwing freshman.

“She did a really nice job against us,” Moorhead said. “It was a good test for us early. This weekend was about practicing against a few good teams. We’re happy.”

With highly touted pitchers Kalei Watkins (Sierra Vista), Michaela Hood (Spring Valley) and Mosie Foley (Faith Lutheran) all in the Lady Eagles’ state championship path, the experience gained from the Saturday contest in which they managed to collect five hits will certainly come in handy come May.

Looking solid offensively, the Lady Eagles posted double-digit runs on three occasions over the weekend, knocking off Mountain View in their season opener 18-0, before posting a 10-0 shutout over Cathedral City (California) and grabbing a 10-3 victory over Coachella Valley (California).

“I thought everyone did a great job at the plate,” senior Charlie Masterson said. “We know we can produce runs at a high level, we just need to be more consistent and wait for our pitches.”

In a collective effort against Mountain View, seven Lady Eagles contributed with runs batted in, including four apiece from Masterson and sophomore Bailey Bennett-Jordan.

Masterson batted two-for-two on the day with a double and a stolen bases, while Bennett-Jordan batted two-for-two as well.

Senior Kylee Hamel, sophomores Micayla Gegen and Jordan Moorhead and freshman newcomer Marleena Mills compiled two RBIs apiece.

“We certainly need all-around efforts at the plate if were going to beat the top teams on our league,” Masterson said. “I think we showed that our lineup is capable of delivering from any spot.”

Against Cathedral City, the all-around effort was prominent again with Bennett-Jordan and senior Bryanna Lopez both compiling a pair of RBIs, while Masterson and and Mills each added one.

Masterson also provided the Lady Eagles with a strong effort against Coachella Valley to sweep both of their out-of-state opponents, batting two-for-three with three RBIs and a home run and double.

Continuing her hot start to the year, Bennett-Jordan looks like a real player for this season’s program, knocking in a home run as well with two RBIs on her two-for-three batting performance, while the newly added freshman phenom Mills batted two-for-two with a pair of RBIs and a home run.

On the mound, Masterson compiled a 3-2 record over the weekend for the Lady Eagles, striking out 36 batters.

Capable of being a second pitcher as well, Bennett-Jordan picked up the win against Cathedral City after throwing four solid innings in which she struck out six batters and allowed only four hits.

“We have some key additions to this year’s roster,” Masterson concluded. “I think its going to help out a lot.”

The Lady Eagles will continue their season Friday in part of the March Warm-Up Tournament, where their opponent has still yet to be announced.

Results from Wednesday’s league opener against Desert Pines will be featured in next week’s issue.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.