STAFF REPORT
COLUMBIA — A hot first two winnings for Columbia Central ultimately was more than Cascade could overcome in Friday afternoon’s non-district tilt.
Columbia built a 6-0 lead, then withstood a mid-game push by Cascade to defeat the Lady Champs, 7-3.
Columbia led off the game by putting its first three batters on base via base hit and two walks before a base-clearing triple gave the hosts a 3-0 lead.
A two-out, two-RBI single later bumped the lead to 5-0.
After a quiet 1-2-3 second by Cascade, Columbia padded its lead with a sixth run of the night on a RBI double in the bottom of the second.
With the game teetering on the edge of getting out of hand, Lady Champion pitcher Shalan Burt settled in and recorded back-to-back scoreless frames.
Momo Bilbro put Cascade on the board in the top of the fourth when she scored after Caroline Parker reached via a dropped third strike.
Cascade further cut into the Columbia lead by plating two more runs in the top of the fifth.
Burt knocked in MaKayla Fisher on a squeeze and safely reached first base.
Ella Thompson later scored on a Columbia error, but that was all the run support the Lady Champs got as the hosts tacked on one extra insurance run and held on through the final two innings.
Although it was a shaky start for Burt, she rebounded and pitched well over the final four innings, giving up just one run in that span.
She finished the game allowing seven runs on eight this while striking out four.
She helped her own cause with a bunt single, while Thompson and Carter also singled.
Momo Bilbro also added a double.
Cascade 000 120 0 — 3 4 1
Columbia 510 010 x — 7 8 1
Cascade: Ella Thompson 1-for-2, Shalan Burt 1-for-4, Momo Bilbro 1-for-2, Kloey Carter 1-for-3.
WP: Lovell
LP: Burt
