Photos By Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – McKinleyville pitcher McKennah Sargent in action against the Crusaders on Wednesday.

By Ray Hamill — The McKinleyville bats came ready to play on Wednesday, as the Panthers comfortably got the better of St. Bernard’s in an early-season softball matchup at Mack High.

The Panthers scored 12 runs in the opening two innings, including nine in the second, on their way to a 13-3 victory in five innings.

Nine different McKinleyville players hit successfully in the victory.

Bailee Box led the way at the plate and went 3-for-4 with a triple, a double and two RBIs, while Hannah McCullough and pitcher McKennah Sargent each also had multiple hits.

McCullough finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Sargent was 2-for-4.

The sophomore pitcher also got the win in the circle, as she continues her impressive start to the new season.

Sargent pitched all five innings and gave up just three earned runs while striking out six.

With the victory, the Mack girls improved to 4-4.

Callyn McCullough also had a good day at the plate and was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Kayla Beck went 1-for-2 with an RBI.

Erika Locker made sure the game ended early on the 10-run rule and finished 1-for-1 with a walk-off RBI.

Jessie Driggs (1-for-1 with an RBI), Liana Stumpf (1-for-4 with two RBIs) and Mashell Stumpf (1-for-3) rounded out a 13-hit team performance.

For St. Bernard’s, meanwhile, three players had multiple hits.

Sophomore Sahara Tupua led the way at the plate and finished 3-for-3 while also scoring two of her team’s three runs.

Team leader Hannah Finck also impressed on both sides of the plate.

The senior catcher went 2-for-3 with an RBI double that scored Tupua and also scored a run herself.

Finck also made some big plays from behind the plate as the game was getting away from the St. Bernard’s girls.

Makinsey Lemley also made some noise with her bat and went 2-for-2 with a double.

“Not our best outing this year, but we hope to get back on track with league starting tomorrow,” said St. Bernard’s head coach Brian Finck, whose team opens the Little 4 in a doubleheader against South Fork in Samoa on Thursday.