The Thunder Mountain High School Lady Falcons softball team found their bats against the Ketchikan Lady Kings but the discovery came after digging down a deep hole.
TMHS gave up 10 runs to Kayhi in the bottom of the first inning.
Lady Falcons junior Ashlyn Gates lifted a shot over the center field fence to open the bottom of the second inning and start a rally for the home team. With the bases loaded later in the inning freshman Alayna Echiverri singled to center field scoring freshman Braith Dihle, junior Kennedy Love and freshman Cambry Lockhart in the action to trail 10-4. Junior Jenna Dobson singled in Echiverri for 10-5.
Gates lead off the bottom of the third with another blast over the fence to trail 10-6 and Echiverri lofted the yellow ball over center later in the inning with Love, Lockhart and junior Aliza Mesdag all standing on a base
TMHS took an 11-10 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as junior Bryanna Eakes singled to score Mesdag.
Ketchikan would score four runs in the top of the sixth inning and allow just one TMHS base runner in the final two innings.
“I am super proud of the girls for battling back from being down 10-0 in the first inning,” TMHS coach Barb Strong said. “That’s a deficit that I don’t think they would have been able to mentally come back from at the beginning of the season. They are showing progress in every game and while this one didn’t end up the way we would like it to we are excited to get back out there and try again.”
Echiverri led TMHS with five runs batted in and Gates added two. Echiverri had three hits, Gates, Kara Strong and Kennedy Love two each, Dobson, Eakes and Lockhart one each.
Thunder Mountain junior Jenna Dobson is caught off base on a fly ball out and is put out at first base by Ketchikan junior Rylie Welk during the Lady Falcons 14-11 loss to the Lady Kings on Friday at Dimond Park field. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
Ketchikan junior Rylie Welk went 3-5 with two RBI and three runs scored to lead the Lady Kings. Senior Faith Easterly added three RBI and two hits, junior Marley Lewis two hits and junior Taylor Jackson and sophomore Vienna Pahang two runs scored apiece.
Lewis started for Kayhi, going 2.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and 10 runs and striking out three batters. Sophomore Mylee Grey relieved for 2.1 innings and allowed a run and Mackenzie Pahang earned the win in two innings with four strikeouts.
TMHS junior Jack Lovejoy started for the Lady Falcons, going 1.2 innings, and Gates finished the game with seven strikeouts.
The Lady Falcons will host Sitka at 11 a.m. Saturday at DP4 and Ketchikan at 5 p.m. with senior honors prior at 4:45 p.m.
