Softball: Douglas salvages split with Manogue

With pitchers from both Manogue and Douglas on the tops of their games Tuesday afternoon, it was apparent that only a couple of plays would separate the two teams on the scoreboard.

Manogue took the first game of a doubleheader in Minden, winning 3-1 on a pair of unearned runs scored in the top of the fifth, but Douglas bounced back to salvage a split with a 3-0 win powered by timely hitting in game two.

With Manogue's win over Douglas in Reno last week, the Miners took a 2-1 season series win, giving them a one-game edge for first place in the Sierra League over Douglas.

"The goal was to win two, unfortunately we pretty much have to sweep the rest of our games and rely on other teams to beat Manogue a couple of times," Douglas coach Andy Mitchell said. "We didn't have the best game in the first game, but we did a great job of coming out and jumping on them in the second."

Manogue's Kassi Hargrove tamed Douglas' bats in game one, striking nine, walking one and allowing just two hits -- both in the first inning -- in taking the complete-game win.

Douglas took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, getting a leadoff double from Emily Weaver and an RBI single from Morgan Blomstrom.

Manogue tied the game up in the top of the fourth when a hit batsman advanced to second on a sacrifice and later scored on a single.

The Miners went ahead in the top of the fifth as a trio of Douglas errors sandwiched around a walk brought two runs across.

Douglas had runners in scoring position twice more in the game, but couldn't capitalize. Tiger starter Stephanie Harper struck out eight and walked three in taking the loss.

In game two, Douglas had to deal with Manogue standout Megan Dortch in the circle. Dorth struck out 11 and walked one while scattering seven hits, but Douglas managed to manufacture the runs it needed for the win.

Mia Townsell led off the bottom of the third with a single down the left field line and Weaver followed with another single.

Maddy Gilbert laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third and Blomstrom belted a two-out single to bring both runners across.

In the bottom of the fourth, Rebecca Trute drew a one-out walk and was sacrificed to second on a bunt from Brenna White.

Townsell then singled to send Trute home.

"The bottom of the order really did a great job in the second game," Mitchell said. "We were struggling overall at the plate. They had us chasing outside pitches and we weren't being patient."

Harper took the win, striking out seven and walking six.