DEMING – Blaine senior catcher MaKenna Wright could not have picked a better time to launch her second grand slam of the season.
The blast in the top of the sixth inning extended her team’s one-run lead to five, propelling Blaine fastpitch to a critical 8-2 league win over Mount Baker Tuesday night on the road, and solidifying the Borderites’ hold on first place in the Northwest Conference.
“I just knew I had to make contact, and my mind was just clear,” Wright said. “Once the ball left my bat, I knew exactly where it was going.”
It was the long-awaited meeting between the NWC’s top two fastpitch teams, as Blaine (12-1, 11-1 NWC) has the league’s top defense — surrendering just 1.6 runs per game — while Mount Baker (11-5, 8-3 NWC) has the top scoring offense at 13.3 runs scored per game.
Timely offense from Wright and efficiency in the circle from Blaine junior pitcher Emersyn Bakker were key for the Borderites.
“I know this was a big win for us, and if we can do this now, I know we can take it a step further when we face them again,” Wright said.
Bakker pitched a complete game, allowing four hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out 13 batters.
Both runs allowed came on a two-run homer from Mount Baker junior pitcher Ava Jeretsky — the Mountaineers’ first hit of the game — in the bottom of the first inning to take a 2-1 lead.
Mount Baker and Blaine combined for four hits over the next four innings before senior infielder/pitcher Piper Nissen sent a ground ball to center field and drove in two of her Borderites teammates in the top of the sixth.
Three batters later, Wright added four more. Blaine added seven total runs in the sixth inning alone.
“That was big for us,” Blaine coach Sean Miller said. “That’s just the resilience of our kids. We don’t quit on them and they don’t quit on us.”
Wright batted 2-for-4 on the day with her four RBIs and a run scored. Nissen went 2-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Jeretsky finished the game 1-for-3 at the plate in addition to her pitching effort. She pitched a complete game, allowing seven hits, six earned runs and six walks while striking out eight batters.
Mount Baker coach Ron Lepper said there are some things his team needs to clean up ahead of districts, but he looks forward to the potential postseason rematch.
“It would have been nice to get that but, at the same time, everything we want to do is still in front of us,” Lepper said.
Next up for Blaine is a home game against Meridian (9-5, 5-5 NWC) at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 4. Mount Baker will go on the road to Lynden (11-6, 8-4 NWC) the same day at 4 p.m.
