High school softball: Chemistry, improvement leading to strong start for Lebanon | High School

The Warriors took advantage of what they were given Wednesday and gave Crook County few opportunities, grabbing a 10-0, six-inning home win to improve to 6-1 and claim the third run-rule victory in the last four games.

A slow start to the season offensively has largely been corrected and Lebanon is building off experienced gained in 2021, when the team went 7-9 overall and 4-5 in Mid-Willamette Conference play.

“I’ve never been so confident in a team,” Warriors junior Alivia Holden said. “There’s so much chemistry, so much competition. We all know our jobs and we’re getting it done.”

Lebanon displayed its offense Tuesday with a 13-2 win against Scappoose that featured home runs by Holden and Jannah Jimenez.

On Wednesday, the Warriors had just four hits — by Laurel McGuigan, Trinity Holden (Alivia’s sister), Alexis Mulligan and MaKayla Padilla — but also got runners on the bags and into scoring position with aggressive baserunning and some Crook County mistakes.

Lebanon scored six runs before recording its first hit — a Mulligan single to lead off the third inning — thanks to plenty of help from the Cowgirls (3-3) with six walks, two wild pitches, two passed balls, two errors and a hit batter.

Crook County starting pitcher Tylee Cossitt didn’t make it out of the first after walking five of the six batters she faced. Emma Sheets hit a run-scoring sacrifice fly to center to make it 5-0. Mulligan also had a RBI on a bases-loaded walk.

The Warriors tacked on one more in the second with more help and another in the third on a second Sheets sacrifice fly to score Mulligan. Lebanon made it 8-0 in the fifth on a Padilla two-out double to center (the only extra-base hit of the game), a wild pitch and a fielding error.

In the sixth, McGuigan had an infield single, advanced on two walks and stole home. A throwing error on a pickoff attempt at third base allowed one more to score and end the game on the 10-run rule.

But through it all, Alivia Holden was on her game in the circle. The right-hander allowed just two hits and no walks and struck out seven.

The Cowgirls, of Prineville, got a runner as far as second base just twice. The visitors’ final baserunner came in the fifth on the Warriors’ lone error of the game while trying to field a grounder by the leadoff batter. But Alivia Holden struck out the next batter and drew a grounder to second base that Lebanon turned into a double play.

“Liv came out and did what she has to do and shut them down, and the defense behind made plays,” Warriors coach Mardy Benedict said.