Mendez With The Walkoff! Devils Stay Unbeaten In South
The Lower Columbia softball team stayed unbeaten in NWAC South Region play when
Mariah Mendez hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the 10th inning. The Devils beat the Penguins 5-3 at Heerensperger Field on Tuesday April 19th.
Mendez' heroics capped off an eventful day that featured a gruesome batting cage injury to
Hannah Rothwell, a record setting steal by
Nicole Bolasky, and a gutty 10 inning pitching performance by
Krystina Fischer.
Fischer pitched the complete game allowing three runs, nine hits, seven strikeouts and just one walk in 90 degree heat.
It was a scoreless duel between Fischer and Clark pitcher Madison Plummer. The Devils broke through in the 5th when
Ashley Kelly hit an RBI double. Clark came right back and hit a solo homer in the top of the 6th to tie it. After Clark went ahead on another home in the 7th, the Devils tied it up again on a
Sam Boyce sacrifice fly.
The game went to an international tiebreaker in the 10th. Clark scored a run to go ahead 3-2, then LCC tied it up on a
Jessica Gibson basehit. That set the stage for Mendez, who drove the pitch out to left for her first ever walk-off homer.
Bolasky etched her name in the LCC Softball record book with her 40th steal of the season. She has a chance to increase her mark with more than half of the league season left.
Shyanne Chandler had three hits for the Red Devils.
LCC got great news earlier in the day when it was learned that Rothwell did not suffer ayn facial fractures after she was struck in the face during a batting cage session earlier in the day. Her left eye was completely shut by swelling after being struck. The Devils are hopeful she'll be ready to come back in short order.
The Devils have a huge pair of games Saturday April 23rd when Mt. Hood comes to Kelso for a 12 pm twinbill. The games can be seen live on Devil Vision by going to You Tube and search for LCC Red Devil Athletics. The games will also be heard live on AM 1490 KLOG and klog.com.
Â
