Junior Emily Guard proved about as efficient and as effective as any team could want from its leadoff hitter, scoring three runs on three base hits in just four at-bats.

The fleet-footed center-fielder also had two steals.

But a hot-hitting Nooksack Valley squad, led by junior Kayla Struiksma on the mound, kept the rest of the Wolverines out of the scoring column over seven innings of play to deal the Friday Harbor softball team (1-1) its first defeat of the season, a 10-3 loss at home, Saturday, March 23.

“We played pretty solid defense but I think we were a little hesitant at the plate,” Coach Nickie Davis said. “We’ll need to work on that.”

The Pioneers scored one run in the third to snap a 1-1 tie and added three more in the middle innings for a 5-2 lead going into their final at-bat. They loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and, with no outs, tallied another five runs to take command of the regional 1A conference contest.

When the dust finally settled, Nooksack Valley (4-1) had 10 runs on 15 base hits, and all without a single strike out.

The Pioneers’ Struiksma (pronounced Strikes-ma) scattered six base hits over seven innings and struck out six, in seven innings on the mound.

Friday Harbor’s Jean Melborne had two base hits and an RBI.

Next

The Wolverines will be looking to bounce back from their first loss and grab a leg up in the race for the Northwest

1A/2B League title, Tuesday, March 26, when they host league rival La Conner, beginning at 4:15 p.m. at the elementary school softball field.

They face Concrete on the road, Friday, and host regional 1A rival Meridian, Saturday, beginning at noon.