By Ian Ferguson
The Blaine softball team took on the Burlington-Edison Tigers at home April 14 and lost the Northwest Conference (NWC) game 9–5.
Blaine ace Lyric Berry pitched the whole game for the Borderites.
“Overall she did really well,” said Blaine head coach Alisa Burk. “Unfortunately, we made quite a few errors which is what really killed us.”
Berry gave up seven hits, but the defense behind her made nine errors. Burk said that’s uncharacteristic of the team.
“It’s definitely the most errors we’ve had this season. We had an off day on defense,” Burk said.
The Tigers scored consistently throughout the game, with runs in all but the third and fifth innings. The Borderites scored one run in the first, one in the fourth and three in the fifth.
“Their pitcher wasn’t overpowering, but she was pretty solid. She had 10 strikeouts and only walked us twice. Up until the last inning we were matching them pretty well hit-for-hit,” Burk said.
Hanna Kiele hit 2–4 with a run and two RBI. Riley Miller hit 2–4 with two RBI and Lexi Greguski hit 1–3 with two runs.
“Overall, we battled and were able to hang in there neck and neck until the last inning,” Burk said.
Blaine scored three runs in the fifth inning to take a 5–4 lead. The Tigers scored two runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to regain the lead and seal the game.
With nine runs coming off only seven hits, Burk reiterated that the defensive errors were what spelled the difference.
“Their lead-off hitter, for example, got on base all five times she was at bat; we committed six errors on her alone and she scored all five times she got on base,” Burk said.
With the win, Burlington-Edison improved to 2–2 in league play and 4–4 overall. The Borderites fell to 1–3 in conference and 3–5 overall. In 2A, their record puts them in fifth place behind Lynden, Anacortes, Sehome and Burlington-Edison.
“I feel like from game one to this game we’ve improved tremendously,” Burk said. “We definitely have had to work a little harder this season, but I have a great group of girls with four seniors who have really led us.”
Sophomore Berry has been the go-to ace this season, with wins against Squalicum and Cascade.
“She has been a great ace. She’s not overpowering, but she’s crafty. She produces a lot of ground balls and easy outs,” Burk said.
The Borderites will travel to Lynden Christian on Friday, April 17, then head to Cashmere for a non-league double-header on Saturday.
“LC is usually a team that’s a good match for us,” Burk said. “If we come out playing Borderite softball like we know we can, I see no reason we shouldn’t come away with a win.”
The Lynden Christian game begins at 4:30 p.m.
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