By Brad Greer
After heavy rains postponed their regularly scheduled season opener at the Magnolia Heights tournament Friday night, North Delta picked up its first win of the year with a 5-4 victory over Hebron Christian in the first of two games Saturday afternoon. The Lady Green Wave fell to Lee Academy 5-4 in the nightcap.
 Hailey Rickard, Ally Alford and Isabella Morrow recorded two hits each as North Delta held off a late Hebron seventh inning rally to earn the win.
 Sarah Johnson got the starting nod in the pitching circle and overpowered the Eagles offense by striking out all nine batters she faced in three innings of work. Alford tossed the final three innings, giving up four runs (three earned) on three hits while fanning four and issuing one walk.
 North Delta (1-1) scratched across two runs after two were out in the bottom of the first off Eagle starting pitcher Brooke Griffin as Alford smashed her first varsity home run with a solo shot to straight away center field. Rickard followed with a single then scored on a RBI double off the bat of Taylor Barton.
 The Lady Waves added a run in the second when Amanda Lamb led off by reaching on a error. Morrow then followed with a perfectly placed bunt single to punt runners on first and second. Emy Cay Donaldson advanced the runner one base before Griffin Rico grounded out back to the pitcher to bring in Lamb.
  Hebron got on the board with a run in the fourth without benefit of a hit as Alford’s first pitch hit Rebekah Falkner to lead off the inning. Falkner advanced to third on a wild pitch and passed ball before eventually crossing the plate on a botched rundown attempt.
  The score remained that way until the bottom of the fifth when North Delta pushed across two huge runs to extended its lead to 5-1. Janie Brasell got the rally started with a one out walk then raced home on a single by Alford. Rickard then collected her second hit of the game with a bloop single that plated courtesy runner Sonni Smith.
 Hebron made things interesting in the top of the sixth as four straight hits produced three runs to close the margin to 5-4 and had the tying run on second with no outs but Alford slammed the door with two strikeouts and a ground ball out to end the game.
 North Delta collected eight hits in the contest with Lamb contributing with a single. The Lady Wave will be back in action by hosting their own tournament Friday and Saturday with times and opponents yet to be determined.