Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Raina Ausburn reacts after the final out in game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader.

By Ray Hamill — It was a successful return to the North Coast for some former H-DNL players on Tuesday, as the Mendocino College Eagles swept a softball doubleheader against College of the Redwoods at Bear River.

McKinleyville graduate Raina Ausburn and Hoopa graduate Tatianna Colegrove both threw complete-game two hitters to lead the way for the Eagles, who took game one 5-0 and game two 5-1.

Ausburn, in her second year with the team, pitched all seven innings for the shutout victory in game one and allowed just two walks while striking out six.

Colegrove was equally impressive in game two and finished with 14 strikeouts in seven innings while allowing just one earned run and walking four.

“I thought they both threw really well,” Mendocino head coach Doug Wingler said. “They pretty much had command of all of their pitches and they went out and competed.”

Both pitchers also had an impact at the plate.

Ausburn, who graduated from Mack High in 2022, finished 1-for-3 in the opener with a walk and an RBI and scored a pair of runs.

Colegrove, who graduated from Hoopa last year, was 1-for-2 in game one with a walk and also scored a run, as well as going 1-for-4 with an RBI in game two.

Former Fortuna Husky Kelsie Hall also had a base hit for the Eagles in game two after scoring a run in the opener, as the talented trio of H-DNL graduates continue to have an impact for Mendocino.

In game one, the Eagles scored three runs in the top of the third inning to open up a 4-0 lead and that was more than enough with Ausburn dominating in the circle.

Rosie Gutierrez and Autumn Walker both finished 2-for-3 for Mendocino, while Kristy Louber and Zonah Headley rounded out an eight-hit team performance.

Ashley Pierce and Meaghan Hampton each finished 1-for-3 for Redwoods, with Dania Nathalia Chavez and Francesca Hart splitting time in the circle.

The doubleheader featured five players from Hoopa’s 2022 North Coast Section championship team, a squad that set an H-DNL record for the program with Hoopa’s seventh all-time section crown.

Kelsie Hall

In addition to Colegrove, CR’s Diamond and Jewely Bibancos-Knight, Nae-Rew Martin and Bethany Masten were all on that team as well.

So too was Mendocino’s Savanah Colegrove, who is Tatianna’s older sister and missed Tuesday’s showdown because of injury.

Diamond Bibancos-Knight continued her recent impressive run at the plate and finished 1-for-3 in game two, while teammate Catlin Caughie also had a base hit and a walk in the loss.

Maeghan Hampton, who was one of last week’s Humboldt Sports Athletes of the Week, added a pair of walks and two stolen bases and also scored her team’s only run of the game on a Diamond Bibancos-Knight base hit.

But overall it was a disappointing showing for the home team.

“We have to hit better,” CR head coach Megan Valente said. “Mendo has two of the best pitchers in the (Golden Valley Conference) and we did hot adjust to the faster pitching and you could tell during the game.

“Our strength is hitting and we failed at that. We have to be better moving forward.”

CR sophomore Allie Egbert had a good game in the circle after relieving Hart in the second inning of game two.

“(Allie) pitched the best she has all season,” Valente said of the former McKinleyville Panther, who allowed just one earned run on three hits and a walk in 5.2 innings and struck out seven. “But we didn’t get her any runs.”

Seven different Eagles players accounted for their seven hits in game two.

“We got some timely hits when we needed them,” Wingler said.

In addition to Tatianna Colegrove and Hall, the Eagles also had hits from Headley, Louber, Jessika Ramos and Kerrigan Nevill as they improved to 4-2 in conference and 9-13 overall.

“The impressive thing to me was how we played as a team,” Wingler added. “All in all as a group they came together. 

“Any time you go on the road in conference and win two games, you have to be pleased with that.”

The CR women, who came into the game having won three of their previous four games, dropped to 1-3 in conference and 4-16 overall.

Before Tuesday’s games, both teams remembered former player Makayla Bernald, who played for both schools before she died tragically in a car accident early last year.

The Corsairs will try to get back on track when they host Feather River in a doubleheader at Bear River on Saturday, with game one scheduled for noon.

The Eagles will host Cabrillo College in a doubleheader on Sunday, with game one set for 10 a.m.