HUMBOLDT — After running roughshod over its Tri-Valley League opponents for the past few years, Humboldt High’s softball squad found itself in an unusual spot Thursday afternoon.
The Lady Cubs fell behind in both games, courtesy of some timely hitting by Erie High’s Red Devils and some spotty defense by Humboldt.
Undeterred, Humboldt rallied in late to tie and take the lead in the opener, only to see Erie even the game at 5-5 in the seventh frame on an error.
The Lady Cubs stranded a runner in scoring position in the seventh inning before an error on Makaylah McCall’s grounder with two out allowed courtesy-runner Sydney Houk to score the game-winner in a 6-5 conquest.
Humboldt also fell behind quickly in the nightcap, 2-0, before righting its ship and rolling from there to a 7-2 romp.
“These were two big wins for us against a good Erie team,” Humboldt head coach Brad Piley said. “Games like this make us a better team.”
Erie grabbed the upper hand early in the opener, scoring on an error and two-out single in the first inning. Courtney Gard pushed the lead to 3-0 with a two-run blast in the top of the third.
Courtney Richey got Humboldt on the board with an RBI double in the third. Tilar Wells singled and scored on Maggie Johnson’s two-out double in the fourth for Humboldt’s second run. Hannah Hulett and Richey singled and scored in the fifth to knot the score at 4-4.
Hulett’s RBI single gave Humboldt a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
The Lady Cubs narrowly missed ending the game in the seventh, but a two-out error extended Erie’s at bat. Shaylee Diediker followed with a run-scoring single to send the game into extra innings, leading to Humboldt’s late rally.
Richey picked up the win with her complete-game, 13-strikeout performance. She allowed seven hits.
“I was proud of how our team battled back to win,” Piley said. “We came out more focused in the second game.”
Hulett rapped out three singles with an RBI and two stolen bases. Wells singled twice. Richey had a single and double, RBI and stolen base. Morgan Mauk singled and stole a base. Wilhite had a single and RBI. Maggie Johnson recorded a double and RBI. McCall and Angleton both had singles.
In game two, an error and hit batter paved the way to a pair of Erie runs in the first inning, before Richey found her groove.
She retired 19 of the last 20 batters she faced in her complete game, two-hitter. She racked up nine strikeouts. She also had two doubles on offense.
Humboldt scored one in the first and added two runs each in the third, fourth and fifth innings to seal the win.
