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The Wildcats got back to winning ways while avenging an earlier loss to Arcata in softball on Monday afternoon.
The Ferndale girls hosted the Tigers in non-conference action and won a competitive game 12-11.
With the win, the Cats improved to 9-3, while Arcata suffered a fourth straight loss and dropped to 6-6.
Ferndale came out ready to go, opening up a three-run lead after the first inning and adding five more runs in the bottom of the second to lead 8-1.
But the Arcata girls would come storming back, scoring six runs in the top of the fifth to take an 11-10 lead, before the Wildcats responded with two more runs in the bottom of that inning to take a lead they would not relinquish.
“I thought that we swung the bats pretty well and we played pretty good defense,” Ferndale head coach Jeremy Griffith said. “Arcata can hit all the way through the lineup and I was happy with the way we responded.”
A pair of influential seniors helped set the tone for the Cats with home runs.
Madison Gossi returned to the lineup after missing last week’s Little 4 doubleheader against Hoopa because of prior commitments and finished 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs, while fellow senior Tinnley Pidgeon finished 2-for-3 with a two-run home run and three RBIs.
Freshman Abagail Gossi also had a big game for the home team.
The youngster finished 3-for-3 and had three RBIs, while sophomore Kara Dinsmore also made some noise at the plate, finishing 2-for-4.
Makenzie Chambers (1-for-3) and Quinn Stokesberry (1-for-4) each also had a base hit in the win.
Olivia Gossi got the victory in the circle, throwing five innings and allowing 12 hits while striking out two.
Her younger sister, Abagail Gossi, pitched the final two innings for the save.
The freshman pitcher took over in the sixth with the bases loaded and no outs and got out of the jam with three outs to end the threat.
The Cats will have a quick turnaround and will be back on the field on Tuesday afternoon when they travel for a Little 4 doubleheader at South Fork.
No stats were immediately available for the Tigers, who will try to get back to winning ways when they host Fortuna in Big 5 action on Wednesday afternoon.
