Good defense and tough pitching are winning formulas at this time of year for high school softball teams—and Wood River High School had both Saturday in Hailey.
In a pair of tight non-conference games, Wood River (9-7 overall, 2-3 league) doubled up the visiting Preston Indians 3-2 and 7-6 at South Valley Sports Complex softball field.
Coach Dale Martin's improving Wolverines made it six wins in their last seven games behind the dominating pitching of the 1-2 righty punch, freshman Samantha Engel (7-5) and sophomore Hannah Gove (2-2).
Engel (10 K, 2 BB) threw a tidy complete-game two-hitter in the 3-2 opening-game pitcher's duel.
Enjoying a fine day at the plate, freshman Angela Coleman (2 hits, double) had an important run-scoring hit. The team's only senior, Jamie Stone, drove home a Hailey run. Junior Vennesa Valentine (2 runs) and Engel added to the four-hit attack.
Coach Martin shook up the Wolverine batting order in Saturday's nightcap and it paid dividends. Leadoff hitter Valentine (3 hits, 2 runs) set the table and the rest of the batting order (13 hits) responded well.
"Almost everyone hit the ball. And we made three great plays in the outfield," said Martin of the 7-6 triumph.
Jamie Stone (2 doubles, 2 RBI), Coleman (3 hits, double, 2 RBI), Dani Stone (2 hits), K.D. Pruett (double) and LeighAndra Roberts (RBI single) contributed to the attack.
On the mound Gove (5 K, 4 BB) allowed six hits and held the Indians scoreless in four of the seven frames.
In the last seven games Wood River's defense has allowed 3.6 runs per game, down from its season 5.6 average.
Wood River, seeking its first winning season at the 4A level after 12-13 and 5-19 campaigns, will entertain the Burley Bobcats in a Great Basin Conference West "Senior Night" clash Thursday, May 4 at 4:30 p.m. on the Hailey diamond.
It will be a preview of an opening-round #2-seed vs. #3-seed Great Basin tournament game Monday, May 8 at 5 p.m. Wood River needs to beat Burley Thursday to force a coin flip for the league's second seed and homefield advantage Monday.
Home is swell for Wood River over the past decade.
The Wolverines are 5-1 at home this spring after going an uncharacteristic 3-7 last year. Over 10 seasons Wood River is 79-34 on its home field.
In fact, the only blip on Wood River's home record came last Thursday, when the Jerome Tigers visited for a pivotal Great Basin contest. Really, it was no contest.
Jerome senior fireballer McKenzie Mangum (125 pitches, 13 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) was in total control of the Wolverines for the second time this season. Mangum tossed a three-hit shutout and Jerome (8-5-2, 3-1) won going away 8-0.
In two starts against Wood River, Mangum has just allowed one earned run and seven hits in 14 innings, while whiffing 26 for second-year Tiger coach Adam Reynolds.
Wood River (4 errors) never recovered after Jerome junior catcher Jennifer Bamburg (2 hits, 3 runs) cracked a three-run homer in the first. Chelsea Craig added an RBI triple to the eight-hit attack. Three of the eight runs were unearned.
Coach Martin said, "They came to play and we didn't. It was an all-around bad game."
Valentine, Engel and Gove drilled solid hits off Mangum. Everybody else was baffled. On the mound, Engel (126 pitches, 8 hits, 5 earned runs, 8 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP) labored at times and was less than her best.
Jerome will carry the top seed into next week's Great Basin tournament. The Tigers host #4-seeded Minico Monday in a rematch of last year's league championship won by Minico 5-4 in an extra game.
Last year Jerome came up short—making state with 9-3 and 8-0 state play-in victories over Preston and Bonneville, but losing 6-5 to Moscow and 10-7 to Pocatello at state. Minico (18-13) ended up in third place at the State 4A tournament.
A great grab by Wood River left fielder Angela Coleman takes a hit away from Preston Saturday in Hailey. Wood River swept 3-2 and 7-6.
