It was a dandy opening-day match-up—the defending 4A Great Basin Conference West champs from Wood River going up against reigning State 3A softball champions Buhl.
But Wood River senior righthander Samantha Engel virtually took the bats out of Buhl's hands. She was nearly unhittable Wednesday and threw a one-hit complete game in Wood River's 7-2 victory.
Engel had a perfect game until one out in the seventh inning, Hailey holding a 7-0 lead at that point with a five-run seventh. She issued her first and only walk, and Buhl's Kendyl Hamilton homered for the one hit and the 7-2 final.
Wood River (1-0) snapped a 10-game losing streak to Buhl teams dating back to 2004. Engel whiffed 10 Buhl batters. Fine defensive plays by Ali Levy, Madison Gove and Rachel Maier supported Engel.
"It was a good start to what could be a special season," said Martin, whose 13-13 team last spring earned its second Great Basin tournament title in three years and qualified for the school's sixth state tourney.
Leading Wood River's eight-hit attack with two hits apiece were Alex Lindbloom (2 doubles, 3 RBI), Angela Coleman (2 runs) and Maier (1 RBI). Madison Gove (2 runs) and Levy (1 hit, 1 run) also contributed.
Tennis team breezes 10-2 at Gooding
Coach Vicki Johnston's Wood River High School tennis team opened its busy 2009 spring season Tuesday with a 10-2 team triumph at Gooding.
Wood River swept girls' singles behind the straight-set efforts of #1 Tanya Greenwood, #2 Lauren Reutter and #3 Kahli Steenstra-Toussaint. Jordan Niedrich added a boys' singles win for the Hailey team.
Besides two forfeit wins in mixed doubles, Wood River also swept girls' and boys' doubles with #1 William DeVries-Bryan Donoso and Jessica Hamilton-Ellen Davis, and #2 Rory Lynch-Gardner Cord and Erin Murphy-Morgan Jones.