Joey Crandall
It didn't take long for Douglas softball pitcher Kellei Kizer to make her presence known Tuesday.
Kizer, making her first varsity start on Nevada soil, struck out nine and allowed two hits to lead the Tigers over Spanish Springs 8-0 at Douglas High School in Minden.
After walking the first batter she faced, Kizer retired 15 of the next 16 Cougars she faced.
"She was dialed in today," Douglas head coach Todd Wilcks said. "She was ahead in the count a lot, she threw a lot of strikes and she was hitting her spots well.
"She got her change-up working a little bit and that is good. She needed an off-speed pitch. She's been working hard on that and she was able to throw it today for strikes."
Kaycee Wilcks went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double, a stolen base and an RBI and Stevie Smith went 2-for-2 with three RBI and two doubles. Brittany Puzey stole two bases and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Kayla Dunn drove in two runs for the Tigers as well.
"We've been doing a much better job the last couple games of swinging the bat and getting people on base," coach Wilcks said. "We're moving them around and making good productive at bats."
Douglas jumped out early as Kaycee Wilcks doubled to right field to open the game. She advanced to third on a wild pitch and Jessie Kizer walked.
Kayla Dunn singled to left, scoring Wilcks and Stevie Smith hit a sacrifice fly to score Kizer.
The Tigers' got their most production out of the third and fourth innings. Puzey started things off in the third, singling up the middle. She stole second before Dunn walked.
Valerie Smith advanced the two with a sacrifice fly and Stevie Smith doubled to score Puzey.
Sam Willson hit a sacrifice fly to score Dunn and Smith scored on a Kaycee Wilcks single.
Puzey, Valerie Smith and Stevie Smith all put up runs in the fourth.
Kellei Kizer retired the final seven batters in order to end the game.
Douglas next hosts North Valleys in a doubleheader at Douglas High beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.
