Enumclaw Girls Fastpitch Falls in Home Opener

The Enumclaw High School girls fastpitch softball team blew a 2-0 lead against Yelm and lost its home opener 10-3 Tuesday afternoon at the Boise Sixplex Baseball/Softball Complex in Enumclaw.

The Hornets took advantage of multiple illegal pitches by Yelm starting pitcher Tessa Matthews and used Kayla Kranz's baserunning to take a 2-0 lead after two innings. But the Tornadoes capitalized on Enumclaw defensive lapses while they batted around in the third inning and went ahead for good, 4-2.

"We had not too many errors in our last two games (against Sumner and Sammamish)," Hornets coach Mike Eckhart said. "Today, the wheels just came off."

Yelm pulled away in the sixth inning, scoring three runs to double its lead to 9-3. Courtney Madsen and Brittany Lunsford, who both went 2-for-3 in the game, drove in runs, and the Tornadoes took advantage of the walks they received.

With the South Puget Sound League 3A opener against Lakes in less than 24 hours, Eckhart knows his team must be ready.

"Lakes brings back their starting pitcher from last year who lives on the dropball," Eckhart said. "They also have a shortstop that will be on base a lot, so we will have to do a good job on her."

First pitch in Lakewood is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Scoring:

Yelm             004  023  1 —  10 10  2

Enumclaw 110  001  0 —   3    5  3

WP: Matthews

LP: McCllelan

Enumclaw highlights—McClellan 1-2, run; Kranz 1-2, run, 1 SB; Forza 1-3, 2B, RBI.