Thompson Falls wins fifth game in six contests

After a 12-2 win in five innings over Troy Friday evening, the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks were feeling pretty good about their season.

The triumph was their third straight and pushed them within two games of .500 at 8-10.

“We’re feeling pretty good now,” head coach Jared Koskela said. “When we’re winning and having fun, it carries over and keeps the momentum going.”

Just two years removed from a one-win season, the Lady Hawks have clearly made strides.

Friday, they spotted Troy a 1-0 lead after Lady Trojan leadoff hitter Talisa Becquart tripled and scored on a groundout. She accounted for her teams’ other run when she smashed a solo home run in the fifth inning.

Outside of Becquart’s performance, winning pitcher Cheyla Irvine cruised the Troy virtually unscathed.

Irvine allowed just two hits to the rest of the Lady Trojans squad. She struck out three and walked one.

Trailing by one run, the Lady Hawks didn’t waste time in taking control with six runs in the bottom of the first inning.

Irvine led off with a single before stealing second. Two batters and two outs later, Irvine was still on second base, but Cella VanHuss singled to score Irvine and tie the game at 1-1.

Olivia Hartnett was hit by a pitch and Danni Jo VanHuss singled to center to score Cella VanHuss to break the tie for good. MacKenzie Robinson then hit a fly ball to right and it was dropped, allowing Hartnett to score for a 3-1 lead.

First baseman Abbi Lane then ripped a double to deep left to score VanHuss and Robinson. No. 9 hitter Blakely Lakko then grounded sharply to third, but an errant throw allowed Lane to score for a 6-1 lead.

The Lady Hawks scored three more in the second inning for a 9-1 lead.

Riley Wilson singled, moved into scoring position on an error in right and scored on a single by Dylan Vigil. Cella VanHuss then ripped a single to left to plate Vigil to make it 8-1.

Cella VanHuss had the big bat for the Lady Hawks. She was 4-for-4 with three runs batted in and a double. She also scored twice.

Thompson Falls made it 9-1 a few batters later when Hartnett scored on an error on a ball hit by Robinson.

Meanwhile, Irvine started to pitch more consistently when she retired six straight batters from the third to the fifth inning.

Becquart spoiled Irvine’s streak with a ball hit to deep left where it bounced off the top of the fence and over for a home run.

The Lady Hawks needed a trio of runs to secure a mercy rule win and that’s exactly what they got in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Irvine led off with a sharp liner but Becquart snagged it at short. But the next three Lady Hawk batters reached with three singles and a double.

Wilson singled then Vigil stroked a single to left. Cella VanHuss’ double to left scored Wilson and Hartnett reached on an error as Vigil scored for an 11-2 lead.

A few batters later another error helped VanHuss scored to make it 12-2 and end the game.

Wilson, Vigil, Danni VanHuss and Lane each had two hits.

Koskela was hoping for a sweep of Eureka last Saturday to put his team in the top three in the division and avoid a play-in game. The Lady Hawks had to settle for a split. They dropped one game by a 25-15 score while winning the second 16-4. They are 9-11 overall.

“Making divisionals was our goal and we have a chance,” Koskela said.

Thompson Falls ends the regular season Saturday against Anaconda.