Lady Tigers sweep season series from Colts

With three swings of the bat, Lauren Hoppe accounted for six of the Douglas softball team's seven runs Saturday as the Lady Tigers completed a doubleheader sweep over the Wooster Colts 1-0 and 6-5 in Minden.

That coupled with two of sophomore Stephanie Harper's strongest performances from the circle of the season and some timely hitting helped Douglas complete the season sweep of the Colts.

In game one, Harper pitched what was perhaps the best game of her young career, striking out 10 and walking one while scattering five hits through seven innings to pick up the win.

The tough part for Douglas, however, was that Wooster's Jessica Rasmussen was firing on all cylinders from the circle as well, as she allowed only four hits through seven innings while striking out six and walking none.

Rasmussen was actually carrying a no-hitter into the bottom of the third before Douglas' Mackenzie Cauley beat out the throw on an infield single.

The difference in the game was a deep shot over the center field fence off Hoppe's bat on the first pitch she saw in the bottom of the fourth.

Donna Judd and Marina Diaz each had singles in the game for Douglas.

In game two, Wooster jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, prompting coach Andy Mitchell to bring Harper back on in relief.

In the bottom of the third, Judd singled with two outs and Hoppe blasted another shot over center to cut the lead to 4-2.

The Lady Tigers let one more run slip across in the top of the fifth, but Emily Weaver and Judd led the bottom of the frame off with a pair of singles, bring Hoppe back to the plate.

Hoppe again homered to center, tying the score at five.

In the bottom of the seventh, Judd reached on a fielder's choice and Hoppe doubled to center, advancing Judd to third.

Tisha Luken then hit a sacrifice to center, allowing Judd to score and giving Douglas the victory.

Harper (12-5) finished with two strikeouts and one walk.

Hoppe ended the day with a 4-for-7 clip at the plate, including three home runs, a double and six RBIs.

She now has eight home runs in her three-year career with the Tigers and leads the team with 26 RBIs on the season.

Douglas improved to 13-7 overall on the season and 6-3 in league play.

The Tigers get the week off before picking league play back up with South Tahoe and Carson next week.

JV

Douglas completed a three-game sweep of Wooster, taking 12-2 and 18-2 wins at Lampe Park Saturday.

Megan Mitchitarian went five innings for the Tigers in the first game with five strikeouts and two hits.

Erika Evans went 3-for-3 to lead the Tigers at the plate and Kendra Blum and Bryanna Schinzing each went 2-for-3.

Tara Paiment collected two hits with two RBIs and Ali Murray had two hits with three RBIs.

Mitchitarian, Rebecca Trute, Morgan Blomstrom and Stephanie Lee each had a hit. Trute had three RBIs.

Wooster had its only threat of the day in the first inning as the Colts loaded the bases with one out. The Tigers completed a 1-2-3 double play, however, and got out of the inning.

In game two, Morgan Pope went five innings while striking out three.

Pope went 3-for-3 at the plate with an RBI as well.

Murray went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Trute went 2-for-5 with five RBIs and Mitchitarian, Blomstrom, Paiement, Schinzing, Blum, Kaytlyn Disalvo and Evans each had a hit. Paiment's hit was a double.

-- Joey Crandall can be reached at jcrandall@recordcourier.com or at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.