One night after the Olympia softball team was no hit in a 12-0 loss to Rogers, the Bears bounced back in more ways than one against Yelm Wednesday.
Olympia not only defeated the Tornados 18-8 in five innings, but the Bears stormed back from an early five-run deficit to stun Yelm 18-8 in their third game in as many days.
“Girls played their hearts out,” Olympia head coach Drew Wellner said. “They fell behind, then rallied, locked in and exploded offensively.”
Olympia scored the first two runs in the first inning before Yelm poured in seven runs in the second, led by two-run singles from Bailey Mounts and Kamille Kautz.
There was no chipping away for the Bears as they roared back in the bottom of the second. After the leadoff hitter grounded out, the next seven batters reached base, including Aliyah Eberle with her two-run double, Abby Crawford on an RBI single, and Sydney Potvin with a bases-loaded walk. Sam Graham tied the game on a sacrifice fly, and with two outs, Ashlynn Carey forced an error on a grounder, bringing Crawford home for the go-ahead run and capping off a six-run frame.
The Tornados tied the game in the third as Mounts logged her third RBI, this time on a double to left field. In the bottom of the third, Olympia rapidly answered again, with Eberle scoring the go-ahead run on a passed ball. Graham reached on another Yelm error to score Crawford, and Carey came up clutch with a two-run double to give Oly a 12-8 advantage.
The Bears put up five runs of insurance in the fifth inning, including a solo home run by Crawford — the finishing touches on a 4-for-4 outing with four RBIs and three runs scored. The homer was her second of the season, and four hits is a season high for the sophomore.
Eberle finished 3 of 4 with two RBIs, two doubles and three runs scored.
Izzy Falling provided three strong innings of relief, allowing just one run on two hits and two walks. She struck out three batters.
Olympia (6-9, 6-6) will host North Thurston (6-5, 4-4 Puget Sound League) in a non-league contest Thursday afternoon.
