Lady Cruisers take two from Hoquiam, improve to 12-3

Hailey Rath and the Lady Cruiser fastpitch team continued their home run tour last week with a stop in Hoquiam to play a double-header against the Hoquiam Grizzlies.

Baley Porter started the home run barrage for the Cruisers in the second inning when she took a 2-1 pitch deep to centerfield for the first score of the game, but the Grizzlies answered back in the bottom half of the inning with four runs of their own to take a 4-1 lead.

That lead wasn't safe for long. In the third inning, the state's home run leader, Hailey Rath, sent one deep to left field and out of the park for a two-run home run to close the gap at 4-3.

In the next inning, with runners on first and second, Hoquiam intentionally walked Rath to load the bases, and then Mary Chabot drew a five-pitch walk that sent a runner home to tie the game at four apiece.

With the bases still loaded, Brooke Blocker fouled out to the left fielder, and Kyleigh Backlund tagged up and scored on the play to give the Cruisers a 5-4 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

The Cruisers added to the score and their home run tally in the sixth inning. After another intentional walk to Rath, Chabot doubled to left field before Blocker hit a three-run home run to right field to make it 8-4. Eatonville pushed another run across later in the inning when Sarah Smith drove in Dakota Smith to make it 9-4.

The Grizzlies scored a run in the bottom of the sixth inning before the Cruisers tacked on four more in the last inning when Blocker hit a double, driving in two runs, and then Dakota Smith capped things off with a two-run home run of her own to score Blocker to make it a 13-5 final.

Sarah Smith started on the mound for the Cruisers and picked up the win. She would go five and one-third innings, giving up one run on three hits and striking out four.

Blocker went 3-5 with a double and six RBIs to lead the Cruisers at the plate.

In the second game of the twin bill, the Cruisers picked up where they left off in game one. They hit five home runs in the game and defeated the Grizzlies 20-8.

Three players homered for the Cruisers. Rath added to her state-leading total by hitting two. Dakota Smith hit two home runs, as well, and Berkeley Porter hit one out.

Rath finished with three hits with two home runs and driving in eight runs. Dakota Smith went 4-5 with two home runs, a double and five RBIs.

Rath still tops the home run leader board for all classifications with 15 home runs in 15 games. As a team, Eatonville has now hit 39 home runs to lead the state. The Eatonville High School record for a team is 43 home runs.

The Lady Cruisers will travel to Pe Ell to take on Pe Ell-Willapa Valley at 4 p.m. today, and then go to Auburn Riverside to play the Ravens at 7 p.m. Thursday. They finish the week playing the final game of their three-game series against Montesano at 4 p.m. Friday at Tumwater.