Demon Softball Notches First Win, Splits Doubleheader With Cardinal

Posted By: parttimerkcii
May 24, 2023 @ 7:15 am
Today's Local Sports

For the second year in a row, the Washington Demon softball team earned their first victory of the season in a split doubleheader with the Cardinal Comets.

The Demons capped off a comeback win, taking game one 8-7. Trailing 3-0 after the first inning, they responded with two runs in the third, before falling 6-2 in the bottom half. A fourth-inning bomb from eighth grader, Colbie Greiner, woke the bats up for Washington, who scored five two-out runs in the fifth to take their first lead of the game, one they wouldn’t give back. Griener finished the game 3-4 with a double and three RBI’s. Lauren Hinrichsen and Emery Walton added a pair of RBI’s each to lead Demon hitters.

Pitcher Bella Salazar, who faced early adversity, slammed the door for Washington, keeping the Comets scoreless in the final three frames. She pitched all seven innings, finishing with three strikeouts and allowing five earned runs as she recorded her first win of the 2023 season.

Demon Head Coach, Ben Obermann, commended his squad on their refusal to quit in the opener. “It just says a lot about our kids and how they’re gonna compete no matter what the score is on the scoreboard. They’re gonna give every ounce of energy, everything they have, and if they do that, we’re gonna win a lot of games this year because we’re never gonna be down and out.”

The Comets bested the Demons in game two, coming away with a tight 4-3 victory. Washington stayed in it the whole way, seeing pitchers Halle Cuddeback and Colbie Greiner work out of multiple jams to keep the Demons within striking distance. Cuddeback was charged with the loss, while Cardinal right-hander, Nicoa McClure, who pitched all 14 innings Tuesday night, earned the win. Leighton Salazar scored two of the Demons’ three runs and Ella Greiner went 1-2 with an RBI and a run scored in the loss.

It’s a quick turnaround for Washington softball, who begins the season 1-1. They host Columbus tonight in their home opener. KCII will have coverage of the matchup on 106.1 FM beginning with the pregame show at 7 and first pitch at 7:30.