The Douglas softball team began its defense of the Reed Easter Tournament title in style Friday afternoon, defeating Central Linn, Ore., 14-0 in the opener and avenging its only loss during last year's tournament with a 5-0 victory over rival McQueen in the afternoon.
Kellei Kizer did a little bit of everything for the Tigers during the win over McQueen, striking out eight and walking only one in six innings of work to pick up the win in the circle.
She also sealed the win in the top of the sixth, hitting a rocket over the left fielders head for an inside-the-park home run.
Douglas built a 1-0 lead in the third inning after Kayla Dunn singled and Val Smith laced a double into the gap to score Dunn.
Smith later doubled to score Jessie Kizer in the top of the fifth and Skyler Zulian singled to bring both Dunn and Smith home in a key three-run inning.
Smith finished the game 4-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two doubles.
McQueen was throwing its No. 3 starter, Brittany Johnson, but Douglas tapped her for eight hits before Tisha Luken cracked a rocket into Johnson's shin, knocking her out of the game.
Jessica Haight, McQueen's No. 2 pitcher, came in to close out the game and Johnson re-entered at first base, and aside from Kizer's home run, she held the Tigers to just two hits in two innings.
In the opener, Dunn struck out 12 Central Linn batters in four innings, accounting for every out herself, while giving up one hit and one walk.
She went 4-for-4 at the plate with five RBI and a home run, the 33rd of her career.
Dunn now needs four to tie and five to break the state's career mark set in 1992 at 36.
Luken went 3-for-3 in the game with a double and two RBI and Jessie Kizer went 2-for-2 with two RBI as well. Mitzi Olsen, Smith, Lauren Hoppe and Kellei Kizer drove in the remainder of the Tigers' runs in the game.
