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Pioneer Softball Splits a Pair on Opening Day

Pioneer Softball Splits a Pair on Opening Day
Posted: Mar 07, 2021

Pioneer Softball had it's long awaited season opener on Sunday afternoon against Garden City Community College. The doubleheader was a tale of 2 vastly different games. The 2 teams split the doubleheader with both games ending after 5 innings due to the 10 run rule. 

Game 1... Pioneers 14... Garden City 3

The Pioneers got their bats going early and often as they kicked off the 2021 season with a resounding 14-3 win in game 1 of a Sunday twin bill. The Pioneers scored 6 in the first inning and then scored in each of the next 3 innings to walk away with a 14-3 win. The Pioneers cracked 5 home runs in the game led by 2 bombs off of the bat of Olivia Cook. Lilinoe Nihi (Moanalua, Hawaii) homered in the first inning, Cook (Belgrade, MT) homered in the 2nd and 4th innings and accounted for 4 RBI while Janie Nelson (Teton Valley, ID) hit a 3rd inning blast. Taylor Woolley (Rathdrum, ID) finished things off with a bomb in the 4th. The Pioneers had 15 hits in the game as Tessa Della Silva (Hamilton, MT) and Autumn Porter (Miles City, MT)both went 3-4 and scored a combined 5 runs. 

Kassidy Kinzie (Plains, MT) went the distance in the circle as she pitched 5 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits. She had 4 strikeouts and no walks to gather the win. 

 

Game 2... Pioneers 0... Garden City 16

Game 2 was a complete reversal of fortunes for the Pioneers. Garden City scored 4 in the first and 11 in the second to dominate game 2. Garden City finished the game after 5 innings with a 16-0 win. The Broncbusters scored their 16 runs on just 8 hits as the Pioneers committed 4 errors and walked 5 batters. Hazel Eaton (Belgrade, MT) took the loss as she went 1 1/3 innings giving up 10 runs on 4 hits with 4 walks. Ashlin Hiller (Lolo, MT) filled in for Eaton and surrendered 2 runs on 1 hit before giving way to game 1 winner Kinzie. Kinzie went 2 2/3 innings giving up 4 runs on 3 hits with 1 walk. She struck out 3 in game 2. 

The only offensive highlight of game 2 was Olivia Cook getting 2 of the 3 Pioneer hits in the game. Kinzie added a triple for the only other hit of the game. 

The 2 teams get together tomorrow for another doubleheader starting at 12:00 PM MST.