LAKE STEVENS — The Lake Stevens softball team has beaten just about every giant in its path to first place.
Cascade was just the latest.
Lake Stevens scratched out two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and starter Sierra Card settled down to pitch four straight scoreless innings to end the game as the Vikings came from behind to beat Wesco 4A South-leader Cascade on Wednesday at Lake Stevens H.S.
“I think some people are still underestimating us and thinking some of our wins were flukes so today, No. 1 in the North and No. 1 in the South going head-to-head and we came out on top,” said Lake Stevens head coach Adrianne Lartz, referring to wins over Arlington, Monroe and Jackson earlier in the season.
Trailing 4-3 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Lake Stevens got a leadoff single by Card. The next batter, Emily Schollenberger, laid down a great bunt right in front of home plate and the throw to first was late, giving the Vikings runners on first and second with no outs. After a strikeout, Tehya Harney battled off one pitch after another from Cascade starter Makinlee Sellevold before singling up the middle on a 3-2 count to drive in the tying run.
Lake Stevens’ next batter grounded out to first base but a throwing error by Cascade during the next at-bat would allow the go-ahead run to score and help the Vikings to their sixth-straight victory.
“Our girls never give up,” Lartz said. “They just know to do the small things right and never give up.”
Lake Stevens fell behind early as Cascade’s Paige Miller tripled to lead off the game and was knocked in by Chloe McIntosh, who finished with three singles and two RBI. After Lake Stevens answered with a run of its own in the second inning off of a Amie Browder triple and RBI single by Card, Cascade broke things open in the third inning with three runs, highlighted by Sellevold’s two-run single.
But after the third, Card settled into a groove. The Vikings senior allowed only one hit and no runs over the next four innings to keep Lake Stevens within striking distance. Card finished with eight strikeouts to pick up her seventh victory this season.
“Sierra kind of ramps up and gets better and better as the game goes along,” Lartz said. “I don’t know if it’s nerves or determination but she just gets better and better as the game goes.”
Lake Stevens’ Rayne Sylvester had a two-run double.
At Lake Stevens H.S.
Cascade 103 000 0—4 7 2
Lake Stevens 012 002 x—5 11 1
Makinlee Sellevold and Alex Deaver. Sierra Card and Tehya Harney. WP—Card. LP—Sellevold. 2B—Jessica Scruggs (LS), Rayne Sylvester (LS). 3B—Paige Miller (C), Amie Browder (LS). Records—Cascade 5-2 league, 10-2 overall. Lake Stevens 6-1, 9-3.
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