File photo – The Huskies improved to 8-1 with a shutout victory over the Cubs on Saturday.
The Fortuna and South Fork girls faced off in the Friendly City on Saturday as both teams continue their preparation for next week’s conference openers in softball.
And it was the high-flying Huskies who prevailed, winning 10-0 in five innings to go to 8-1 on the season.
There was little to separate the two schools early in the game, but the Huskies broke the deadlock with a run in the bottom of the second and scored seven runs over the following two innings to take control.
Seniors Faith Helms and Mariah Bravo led the way at the plate for the hosts, while sophomore right fielder Olivia Hayes made the defensive play of the game.
The red-hot Bravo, who is one of this week’s Humboldt Sports Athletes of the Week, finished 2-for-3 and hit her third home run of the campaign, driving in two runs on the day.
Helms also was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and hit a pair of doubles, her team-leading sixth and seventh of the year.
In the top of the third inning with just one run separating the teams, Hayes threw a strike from right field to third baseman Evalynn Little, who applied the tag on a South Fork runner to end a scoring threat.
Myra Hayes and Isabel Sanchez combined in the circle for the shutout, with the latter getting the win.
Sanchez pitched three innings of no-hit ball in relief, while striking out three and walking four.
Myra Hayes started the game and pitched two innings, allowing two hits and one walk and striking out one.
Both Fortuna pitchers benefitted from a defense that played errorless ball.
Junior Hailee Thompson also impressed at the plate in the win and went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs and two runs.
Sanchez, Little, Sephora Machado and Sophia Castillo each also had a base hit in the win while facing South Fork freshman pitcher Leila Coleman, whose performance the Fortuna coaches praised.
The newcomer finished with five strikeouts and issued four walks and also benefitted from a defense that committed just one error.
The freshman also had a good day at the plate and finished 2-for-2, while teammate Aubrey Young was 1-for-2.
Makenzie Brewer also made some noise at the plate for South Fork and walked three times.
“I feel the girls played well today,” said South Fork head coach Lisa Todd, whose team appears to have a legitimate shot at winning a wide-open Little 4 this year. “Fortuna is a good team all the way around and we got girls on base.”
The Cubs did threaten with multiple runners in scoring position, but were unable to get them home against one of the best defenses in the entire H-DNL.
“We put the ball in play,” Todd added. “We have a few things to clean up before league starts.”
The loss was just the second on the season for the 6-2 Cubs, who open the Little 4 with a doubleheader at Hoopa on Thursday.
The Huskies open the Big 5 with a home doubleheader against Eureka next Saturday.
