Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Olivia Gossi delivers a pitch during Tuesday’s doubleheader at Ferndale.

The Little 4 got under way in softball with four games on Tuesday, and it was a good opening day for the Ferndale girls.

The Wildcats welcomed St. Bernard’s to Ferndale High and swept a conference opening doubleheader, winning a high-scoring game one 13-9 and following that with an 8-4 win in game two.

Also in the Little 4 on Tuesday, defending conference champs South Fork traveled to Hoopa and split with the Warriors.

The home team took the opener 6-3, but the visitors would bounce back to salvage a split, winning game two 7-0.

With their sweep, the Wildcats improved to 8-1 overall.

“I thought that overall, especially in the second game, it was probably our most well-rounded game of the year,” Ferndale head coach Jeremy Griffith said. “St. Bernard’s, you’ve got to give them credit, they hit the ball well. But I felt like our defense stepped up and limited their chances.”

Junior Olivia Gossi pitched a pair of complete games for the victories in the circle.

Gossi gave up seven earned runs on 13 hits in game one, while striking out six, but was able to limit the Crusaders’ opportunities in game two, holding them to six hits and striking out five.

The Cats pitcher also had a good day at the plate, accounting for three of her team’s six base hits in the game-two win.

The junior finished 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles, while teammate Tinnley Pidgeon was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI.

Quinn Stokesberry (1-for-2 with an RBI) and Abagail Gossi (1-for-4 with an RBI) each also had a base hit for the Cats in game two.

Makenzie Chambers had the hot bat for Ferndale in the opening game, finishing 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Madison Gossi was 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.

“Both St. Bernard’s pitchers threw well, and I thought our (girls) were able to adjust,” Griffith said. “Overall, I was pretty happy with the way the games went.”

Ferndale’s Fallon Bullan also made some noise at the plate in game one, finishing 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while Olivia Gossi (1-for-4 with two runs), Pidgeon (1-for-3 with a triple and an RBI) and Abagail Gossi (1-for-2 with an RBI) each also had a base hit in that win.

No stats were immediately available for the Crusaders.

Hoopa 6, South Fork 3

South Fork 7, Hoopa 0

A lot of people believe it will be an exciting race for this year’s Little 4 championship, and opening day did nothing to change that perspective.

Defending champion South Fork traveled to Hoopa to open against the Warriors, and the two schools split.

With Rikki Lipscomb leading the way at the plate, the home team took a three-run victory in game one, but the visitors would respond with a shutout victory in game two to keep their title hopes well on track.

Lipscomb, who had one of the hottest bats in the conference through the first month of the season, continued to make her presence felt at the plate and finished 2-for-4 in game one.

Fellow senior Monteya Colegrove also had a good game, both at the plate and in the pitchers’ circle, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles and striking out nine for the victory.

Kiera Ashley (2-for-3) and Tsisna McCovey (1-for-2) each had a double in the win, while Angela Hern and Violet Abarr each was 1-for-3.

Six different South Fork players hit successfully in the loss, including Mackenzie Coleman, who finished 2-for-4 with a double.

Calleigh Smith and Hailey Shepherd each finished 2-for-3, while Kendall Kercher (1-for-4) and Anora Blackwell (1-for-3) each had a double, and Molly Perkins (1-for-3) also had a base hit.

With sophomore Leila Coleman sidelined because of an injury, Mackenzie Coleman started in the circle in both games.

The junior pitcher struck out five and walked one in the game-one loss, but threw a shutout for the victory in game two, striking out three and walking no one.

“We struggled hitting in the first game and made some mental errors. We had a tough time getting going,” said South Fork head coach Lisa Todd, who had to adjust her lineup with Leila Coleman out. 

“By game two, we started hitting a little better and started coming around.”

Seven different Cubs had multiple hits in game two.

Makenzie Brewer (3-for-4 with a double and an RBI), Mackenzie Coleman (3-for-5), Shepherd (3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI) and Leyla Curria (3-for-5 with two RBIs) had three hits each in the win, while Blackwell finished 2-for-4 and Kercher and Aubrey Young were both was 2-for-5.

For Hoopa, Lipscomb finished 3-for-3 to cap a big day at the plate, while Hern and Roxy Colegrove each as 1-for-3.

Monteya Colegrove took the loss in the circle, pitching a complete game and striking out seven while walking three.