The Borderites were busy this past week, with softball going 2-2 in the first four games back from spring break, and baseball throwing a couple of gems to earn wins over a pair of conference teams.
After one of the longest spring breaks of any Borderite team, Blaine softball immediately shook the dust off with a 12-7 win over Nooksack Valley on April 16. The offense was led by senior Mesa Puls, who cranked three home runs in five plate appearances, driving in seven runs — enough to tie the Pioneers all by herself.
Together, the Borderites combined for 14 hits, with help from Aaliyah Broyan who hit her first career home run, and multi-hit performances from Courtney Roff, Aaliyah Bowman and Kate Koreski.
On April 17, the Borderites lost 8-2 to 1A Northwest Conference rival Lynden Christian. On Saturday, Blaine ran head first into 3A Sedro-Woolley, which seems far and away to be the most talented team in the conference this year, and fell 24-0.
Sedro-Woolley is averaging over 20 runs scored per game and allowing less than half a run per game, both the best marks in the conference by a wide margin, leading the 3A juggernaut to a 12-2 overall record with a 8-0 conference record.
But the Borderites were able to bounce back at home on Tuesday, hosting fellow 1A NWC team Meridian. The Borderites jumped out to an early lead thanks to an 11-run first inning and never looked back.
Puls earned her third win as a pitcher this season thanks to a complete game, improving her record to 3-3. Roff caused a ton of trouble on the basepaths for Meridian, going 5-for-5 with three stolen bases and three runs scored, and Nevaeh Zaddack popped her first home run at the varsity level.
Softball (6-5, 4-4 NWC) was expected to host Lynden at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Pipeline Fields (after press time) before traveling to face Mount Baker at noon Saturday.
Stats provided by whatcompreps.com and nwcathletics.com
After emerging from spring break with a tough 11-10 walkoff loss to Lynden Christian last week, the Borderites got back in the win column with a pair of low-scoring victories over Squalicum and Bellingham.
On the road against Squalicum on April 15, Blaine’s pitchers showed what they could do en route to a 2-1 victory. Starter Ashton Vezzetti went five innings allowing just two hits and one run while striking out nine batters. That allowed Aaron Garza — normally Blaine’s do-it-all infielder — to close out the final two innings in relief, striking out three batters and earning his second save of the season.
The next night against Bellingham at home, the Borderites produced an even more stellar pitching performance, winning 1-0. It was Blaine’s first shutout victory of the year.
The Borderites won despite not recording a single hit, an extremely rare feat that was only possible thanks to two batters being hit by a pitch and two being walked in the bottom of the third to score the game’s lone run. That was all Bellingham’s Tobias Lamb and Kai Nelson gave up — notching a combined no-hitter but still losing the game.
Josh Cochran earned his third win of the season, striking out nine batters and allowing just one hit in the complete game shutout.
Blaine went on to drop its next two games at home on Friday and Tuesday, losing 14-4 to Anacortes and 10-4 against Lakewood. The Borderites are currently 6-8 (5-7 NWC), putting the team in second place in 1A NWC.
Blaine was expected to travel to face Oak Harbor on Thursday and Ferndale on Friday before returning to Pipeline Fields for games against Sultan at 4:30 p.m. Monday and Sehome at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Stats provided by whatcompreps.com
