Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The St. Bernard’s girls celebrate their win in game one on Thursday.

By Ray Hamill — The St. Bernard’s bats got the Little 4 off to a flying start in softball at Samoa on Thursday, as the Crusaders swept a conference-opening doubleheader against a South Fork team that was playing its first conference games in two years.

The SB girls racked up 13 hits in both games, taking game one 9-4 and winning game two 13-8.

St. Bernard’s Freshman Oni Orcutt enjoyed a conference debut she won’t easily forget, finishing 3-for-4 at the plate in the opener and also getting the win in the pitcher’s circle.

The Crusaders took an early 3-0 advantage and led 5-1 after four innings, but the Cubs would make a game of it late, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to pull within one.

However, the home team would quickly stretch the gap once again with four runs in the bottom half of the inning and after that there was no way back for the visitors.

St. Bernard’s Makinsey Lemley also had a good game at the plate and finished 2-for-3 with a walk, while teammates Sahara Tupua, Kayla Maples and Hannah Finck each went 2-for-4.

Finck also drove in two runs.

Aubree Saunderson and Kiara McGinnis each also had a base hit in the win.

The Cubs, who did not field a team last spring, were led at the plate Molly Perkins, Makenzie Brewer and Raevyn Reveles.

Perkins finished 2-for-2 with a double, while Brewer was 2-for-4 with a double and Reveles was 2-for-3.

“We didn’t have a team last year, so we’re still a little behind,” South Fork head coach Lisa Todd said. “But they’re getting it.”

In game two, the Crusaders trailed 5-0 early, but exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the third inning to take the lead.

Eight different St. Bernard’s players hit successfully in the win, including Finck, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs to cap an impressive day.

Lemley, Emma Mowrey and Bailee White each also had two hits in the win, while Sahara Tupua, Kyna Tupua, Sarah Luna and McGinnis each also had a hit.

Luna got the win in the circle.

Perkins had another big game for the South Fork girls and went 2-for-3, while Caidence Young was 3-for-4 and Mackenzie Coleman went 2-for-4 with a double.

“we’r making contact, we’re just not making hard contact,” Todd added. “But as the season progresses, they’ll improve.”

Cloe McConnell pitched game one for the Cubs, with Coleman throwing game two.

Coleman has been one of the bright spots for the team early in the season and has played well in the circle, behind the plate and at shortstop, or wherever Todd needs her.

Reveles also made some big plays at third base for the Cubs, who are now 2-3 and had played just three games before Thursday’s doubleheader.

“She didn’t let anything by her today,” the coach said of Reveles. “She held down third base.”