After getting beaten up twice by a strong Buhl team last Tuesday, the Wood River High School softball team needed a good effort on its South Valley Sports Complex field where the Wolverines boast a glittering 81-38 mark over 11 seasons.
Coach Dale Martin's Wolverines got it Friday against another talented squad, the Pocatello Indians. Wood River split the home Great Basin Conference twinbill, winning the opener 4-2 and dropping the six-inning nightcap 7-4.
"What a difference a couple of days makes!" said Martin, who felt Wood River hit the ball much better, fielded and pitched well and generally came to play against Pocatello.
They also had their first chance of the season to autograph a winning home field scorecard, since K.D. Pruett's mother Kathy asks each Hailey player to sign her scorecard—but after a winning effort, only.
Pocatello (11-2), ranked second among Idaho 4A softball teams, brought a seven-game winning streak to Hailey. But Wood River junior righty Hannah Gove (3-5) put a stop to the streak in the opener.
Gove (96 pitches, 8 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP) threw her best game of the season, a five-hitter that turned things around for a Wood River squad that had lost four of its last five. And Gove (2 hits) helped get the 10-hit Wolverine attack in gear.
With her team trailing 2-0 in the fourth, Gove ripped a leadoff single that sparked Wood River's decisive four-run frame. Singles by Dani Stone and Tasha Karst kept the rally going. Alex Lindbloom's sac bunt pushed the runners up.
Trista Behr (2 hits) added a run-scoring single, Angela Coleman (3-for-3) was hit by a pitch to score another runner, and catcher Vanessa Valentine lifted a sacrifice fly as Wood River batted around.
In Friday's nightcap, Gove's leadoff double in the second and a clutch, two-out RBI single by Pruett (2 hits) gave Wood River a 1-0 lead. But the third inning turned into the game breaker in the well-played match-up.
Pocatello reached Wolverine starter Samantha Engel (4-4) for five runs on four hits in the third—the big blow a two-run double by Indian left fielder Caitlin McDowell. In the home half of the third, McDowell robbed Engel's roped line drive with two runners aboard and no outs.
Hailey settled for three runs in the third, Gove's two-run single and an RBI single by Karst plating runs. Trailing 5-4, the Wolverines put leadoff runners aboard in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames but couldn't score off Pokey pitcher Jordan Denny (97 pitches, 8 hits, 10 K, 2 BB).
Engel (138 pitches, 10 hits, 8 K, 3 BB) had the one bad inning that wasn't helped when she tried to knock down a line drive with her bare hand and suffered a split finger and painfully sore hand. But she persevered and pitched well in the final three innings to keep her team close.
Busy week ahead for Wolverines
The Great Basin Conference West pennant chase is totally up in the air at the midpoint of the 2007 season. All four teams have sub-.500 records and the only thing that's for sure is that Wood River is the defending Great Basin West champ.
Wood River (7-9, 1-1 league) hosted Minico (2-12, 1-2) Tuesday, the Spartans coming to Hailey after an 11-0 league loss at Jerome (7-9, 2-1) Friday. Next Tuesday the Wolverines travel to Burley (5-9, 1-1).
In between the two league tussles Wood River will face three non-conference foes. The Wolverines host Glenns Ferry today, Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Engel threw a no-hitter at the Pilots in an 8-1 victory March 9.
Filer's Wildcats (2-10), 12-2 and 10-6 home losers to Wood River March 7, arrive in Hailey Thursday, April 19 for another 4:30 p.m. clash. Mountain Home comes to Hailey Saturday for an 11 a.m. game. Mountain Home was a 7-5 home winner over the Wolverines March 10.
Wood River?s ?Gashouse Gang? of 2007 has some fun at Friday?s home softball game against Pocatello. Kneeling in front, from left, Hannah Gove, Lacey Anderson, Trista Behr, Alex Lindbloom and Angela Coleman. Standing, sort of, or draped, from left, KD Pruett, Brittney Shipley, Sierra Lee, Samantha Engel, Dani Stone, Vanessa Valentine, LeighAndra Roberts and Tasha Karst. Not shown is varsity player Molly Floyd, who was at a state culinary competition. Photo by Willy Cook
