ARLINGTON — It’s always been called a “walk-off” home run.
But for Granite Falls head coach Tom Bergan and his Tigers, it was something different.
The Granite Falls softball team found itself standing on the field in disbelief rather than walking off it, as Lakewood celebrated a solo home run by Terah Barrio in the bottom of the seventh inning that gave the Cougars a 6-5 victory over the Tigers in a Cascade Conference game Thursday evening at Lakewood High School.
“It was a great chess match today,” Bergan said. “We did a good job of getting some of those timely hits and unfortunately they got that one little blast at the end that left us standing on the field. But, rest assured, the Tigers aren’t finished for the season. We’ve still got a long season left.”
Barrio’s blast sealed the victory for Lakewood, which took its first lead in the bottom of the first inning. But Granite Falls battled back as the lead transferred back and forth throughout the game.
“Us and Granite Falls have been battling since my freshman year,” Barrio said, “and it’s pretty great to know that the first game my senior year, we came out and won it.”
The senior leadoff hitter went 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI and three runs scored. Lakewood head coach Travis Boortz said the goal was just to get the speedster on base and then find a way to drive her in.
Barrio took care of that all on her own.
“She’s our leadoff batter and she’s got great speed, but she’s also our best hitter,” Boortz said. “The plan was to get her on base and get her to second (base). I didn’t expect that. But, you know what, we’ll take it.”
Barrio, who hurt her arm diving back to first base earlier in the game, knew the ball was gone as soon as she hit it.
“Right when I hit it off the bat, I felt it,” she said. “It’s probably the best feeling, just knowing (my team is) all there and have my back. It’s just awesome.”
Lakewood junior Alexis Lampinen went 2-for-3 with a team-high three RBI, including a two-run single in the bottom of the first. The Cougars also got RBI base hits from pitcher Hailey Malakowski and catcher Kylie Lopez.
“(Lampinen’s) another great hitter,” Boortz said. “She had a couple big hits, like that one in the first inning that scored a couple runs and gave us our first lead. Expect big things out of her.”
Boortz also singled out Lopez, for her leadership behind the plate against the Tigers.
“Our catcher is just incredible,” he said. “She called a great game tonight. All nine of their hitters could hit the ball and her location and placement — and just her leadership every play — was huge. And she hit a ball that probably dented the fence.”
Lopez and Malakowski got the better of Granite Falls (3-2 league, 4-2 overall), which got a strong performance from senior Mikayla Engstrom. The second baseman went 2-for-4 with two RBI, a run scored and a pair of doubles.
Mackenzie McLaughlin, who batted right after Engstrom, was 2-for-3 with two RBI.
“Mikayla Engstrom is catching fire, she had a couple nice doubles tonight, which were some big hits for us,” Bergan said.
Thursday’s contest was much closer than one earlier in the week, which saw the Cougars defeat Mariner 25-0. Boortz said he very much preferred the close battle with Granite Falls.
“The other night we won 25-0 and we were subbing everybody in and getting everybody lots of playing time and that’s fun to get people playing time, but a game like that is so much more fun to coach,” Boortz said. “Especially, being on the winning side of it.”
The win kept Lakewood (4-0, 6-0) undefeated this season. Bergan knows his team, the defending league champion, and the rest of the Cascade Conference are chasing the Cougars.
“(They’re a) solid ball club, from top to bottom,” Bergan said. “They swing the bats, they’ve got good energy and it’s a great game to come out and play. They’re 6-0, they’re at the top. Everyone’s shooting for them. Even though we won the league championship last year, it’s their game right now. We’ve got to pick up our game a little bit.”
Lakewood H.S.
Granite Falls 003 011 0 — 5 7 1
Lakewood 202 010 1 — 6 7 6
Lauren Harding and Dannica West. Hailey Malakowski and Kylie Lopez. WP—Malakowski. LP—Harding. 2B—Mikayla Engstrom (GF) 2, Lopez (L). HR—Terah Barrio (L). Records—Granite Falls 3-2 league, 4-2 overall. Lakewood 4-0, 6-0.
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