Lady Chukar softball team goes 2-2 at NWAACC pre-season tourney
Monday, March 16, 2009 10:43 AM PDT
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| Argus Observer file photo
TVCC pitcher Valerie Yingling is set to fire off a pitch in this Argus Observer file photo during a game last season in Ontario. TVCC went 2-2 at the recent NWAACC pre-season tournament in Washington. |
Argus observer sports staff
Richland, Wash.—The Treasure Valley Community College softball team competed at the pre-season Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges tournament in Richland, Wash. over the weekend and came away with a 2-2 performance.
Saturday, the Lady Chukars took on South Puget Sound and Lower Columbia and drew a split with a 7-0 win over South Puget and 9-1 loss to Lower Columbia. Sunday, TVCC split its two games with a 4-1 win over Clark Community College and a 13-7 loss to Mount Hood Community College.
In Sunday’s action, the Chukars hit the diamond in their first game against Mount Hood and found themselves trailing 2-0 after one complete inning of play. Freshman Julie Haralson started the game from the rubber, but was relieved in the second inning by Ashley Hillyard. Haralson gave up two run in her short appearance.
After four and a half innings of play, TVCC trailed 5-0, when sophomore Sarah Wharton stepped into the box with two runners on base, and with one swing of the bat, she put the Lady Chukars back in the game with a three-run home run.
Mount Hood added a run in the top of the fifth inning to extend its lead to 6-3, however, in the home half of the fifth, TVCC scored a quick run then put two more runners on base for freshman Amanda Dunson who cleared the bases with a three-run shot and giving TVCC a 7-6 lead.
That lead did not last. In the top of the sixth inning, Mount Hood plated three runs to regain control of the game, leading 9-7, then in the home half of the sixth, Mount Hood brought in its ace pitcher to shut down the Lady Chukars. Mount Hood added four more runs in the seventh for the final margin.
In the second game on Sunday, TVCC squared off against Clark Community College and sophomore Valerie Yingling picked up the 4-1 win. Dunson again went deep for the Lady Chukars and she accounted for two of the Chukars four runs.
“After coming back from our California trip, we were not happy with our performance,” TVCC head coach Shane Quesnell said. “We had a good week of practice before going to Washington and it showed by the way we played up there.”
For the season, the Lady Chukars are 2-4 and will take on Walla Walla University Wednesday in a non-league double-header which is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.
“I was really pleased with how we played this weekend,” Quesnell said.
Walla Walla University will hang around the valley for a few days, and, on Wednesday, they will play Weber State in Ontario at the Chukar softball field.
These games are set to begin at noon.
