By Brad Greer

Even when things are not going well both offensively nor defensively, championship teams often find ways to win games.

The North Delta softball team found themselves in that same  predicament in a key District 1-2A battle against Kirk Monday afternoon at Green Wave Field. After committing four errors in the first two innings, the Lady Green Wave fell behind 2-0 in the top of the first but then retaliated with five unanswered runs to take a 5-2 five-inning win.

The game was called after the top of the fifth due to the hour-and-half time limit. With the win, the Green Wave remained unbeaten at 4-0 in district play and 10-3 overall. Kirk meanwhile slipped two games behind North Delta in the division standings with a 3-2 mark and 14-4 on the season.

“It was not the prettiest of wins, but we will certainly take them any way we can get them,” said North Delta head coach Damon Plummer. “The first inning was a nightmare but from on out we played some good ball. We got two clutch hits from Hastings (Neal) and Bradi (Beard) there in the fourth inning that gave us the lead and then Peyton Rico came in relief and did an outstanding job.”

After Kirk scored two unearned runs on three errors in the top of the first inning, North Delta tied the game with a pair of runs of their own in the bottom half of the stanza on three miscues by Kirk. Leadoff batter Vicky Johnson reached on an error then later scored on Neal’s RBI ground out. Beard then followed by reaching on an error before scoring on yet another error by the Raiderette shortstop.

Both teams left runners in scoring position in the second inning as Kirk leadoff hitter Lexi Vaughn hit into a rare 1-3-2 double play to end the inning. North Delta then loaded the bases in bottom of the second only to have Neal strike out to end the threat.

Kirk had a runner thrown out at the plate in the third while the Green Wave stranded Snider at third with one out as Laci DuBravec and Madison Greenlee grounded out to end the inning.

North Delta finally got to Kirk starting pitcher Kelsey Marter in the fourth as Johnson reached on a one-out fielders’ choice. Following a Julianna Morrow walk, Neal ripped a sharp single past third that plated Johnson to break open the deadlock.

Beard then followed with a single up the middle to score Morrow. Neal then raced home on an overthrown ball by the catcher to make the score 5-2.

In top of the fifth, Kirk put runners on the corners with two outs before Rico got Carmen Woods to hit into a force play at second to end the game. Rico came in relief of starting pitcher Mary Jane Morrow with one out in top of the first record the win.

Kirk out-hit North Delta 5-3 in the game as both teams left six runners on base. Neal, Beard and Snider registered singles for North Delta.