Lady Cruisers split with Bulldogs

The Lady Cruisers started off the week with a 7-2 victory over league opponent Montesano Bulldogs in which senior Hailey Rath hit her state-leading 12th home run of the season.

Eatonville jumped on top in the bottom of the first inning when Rath hit a fly ball deep to center field that cleared the fences to give the Cruisers a 1-0 lead.

They scored three more runs in the second inning via the home run. With Berkeley Porter on base, Sarah Smith homered to right field increasing the Cruisers’ lead to 3-0. Kyleigh Backlund scored later in the inning after being pushed home following a bases-loaded walk.

The Bulldogs clawed their way back in the game scoring one run in both the third and fourth innings to bring the game close at 4-2.

Eatonville scored two more runs in the fourth inning and another in the fifth inning and held the Bulldogs scoreless for the rest of the game to pick up the win.

Mary Chabot led the Cruisers in hits with two, while Rath and Smith both drove in two runs.

The Cruisers then headed to Montesano to play the final two games of the series.

Montesano got the better of them in that game, powered by a nine-running seventh inning to defeat Eatonville, 10-5.

Game two was postponed due to darkness and will be rescheduled for later in the season.

Up next, the Lady Cruisers will host the Hoquiam Grizzlies in an Evergreen 1A league match-up at 3 p.m. Friday.