Photos by Phoebe Becker – Mackenzie Coleman in action for the Cubs on Friday.

South Fork and Hoopa split a competitive conference-concluding softball doubleheader in Miranda on Friday, with the Cubs securing a 3-2 walk-off win in the opener and the Warriors responding with a 10-7 win in game two.

With the split, the South Fork girls moved into a tie for third in the Little 4 with the Ferndale Wildcats, who lost two games to St. Bernard’s, also on Friday.

However, Ferndale will receive the third and final Little 4 berth for next week’s Charles Lakin tournament courtesy of a tiebreaker.

The South Fork bats appeared up for the challenge in the opener, with several players stepping up.

Senior Caidence Young led the way and finished 3-for-4, while Cloe McConnell was 2-for-4 with a double and Aliya Burns was 2-for-3.

Aubrey Young and Mackenzie Coleman each also doubled in the win, with Coleman also walking twice.

“That game was the team I’ve been waiting to see all year,” South Fork head coach Lisa Todd said. “We finally cut down on errors on defense and offense. Both teams played tight defense.”

McConnell got the win in the circle, striking out seven and walking just two.

The Warriors were missing four starters for the games, but several of the younger players stepped up in their absence, including freshman Jaiden Kurtz, who finished game one 3-for-4 and had an “awesome game,” according to head coach Jordee Colegrove-Avery.

Monteya Colegrove also had a good day for the visitors, both in the circle, where she pitched both games, as well as at the plate.

The standout sophomore continues to grow in stature for the Warriors, who close out conference play 7-5 and received the No. 2 seed for next week’s Charles Lakin tournament.

Another sophomore, Kalia Mitchell, also had a big day behind the plate as well as laying down some “beautiful bunts,” according to the coach, as the Warriors showcased the depth of their young talent.

Cloe McConnell in action for the Cubs on Friday.

File photo – Monteya Colegrove

“It was really awesome to catch a glimpse of what the next year of Hoopa softball will look like,” Colegrove-Avery said. “These young ladies are tough.”

The Cubs appeared well in control in game two and on the way to a sweep after opening up a 5-0 lead, but the visitors overcame the early setback on their way to a split.

“They just put bat on ball and ran for it,” Colegrove-Avery said.

Roxy Colegrove had a good day for the Warriors at third base, while Rikki Lipscomb stepped into shortstop and helped set the tone for team on defense.

“She made some great plays,” the head coach said of Lipscomb. “It was an all-around great game to see my younger classmen get into rhythm and succeed in that second game.”

Angela Hern and Mariah Andreoli each also had a good game defensively for the visitors.

South Fork’s Aliya Burns

“Really everyone did a great job,” Colegrove-Avery added.

In game two, the Cubs were led at the plate by Aubrey Young (2-for-3) and Molly Perkins (2-for-4), while Coleman was 1-for-2 with a double and also reached base on a walk and a hit by pitch.

“We took a 5-0 lead and then went back to our old ways,” Todd said. “Hoopa kept on hitting well and we kept making error after error.”

Coleman pitched for the Cubs and struck out eight while allowing just one walk.

Next up, the Warriors will open the Charles Lakin tournament against the Big 5 No. 3 seed on Tuesday at 5 p.m. at the Arcata Sports Complex.

The Cubs will now their attention to the upcoming North Coast Section playoffs, with the brackets set to be announced next weekend.