On a blustery day atop the Sammamish Plateau, the Falcons warmed up in a hail storm, then fought through the cold and wind to defeat Skyline 3-1.

Madi made her first Falcon start and went all seven innings for her first victory as a high school pitcher.  After a walk and two infield dribblers loaded the bases with one out in the first, Madi showed what she is made of, striking out the next two batters in seven pitches to end the inning.  From then on, she held the good-hitting Skyline batters to only two more hits, while striking out 13.

Skyline's great senior junkball pitcher Elizabeth Stromquest kept the Falcons at bay early with a collection of slow, slower and slowest curves and changeups, and it was a scoreless game for three innings.

Katie led off the fourth inning with a double to right center.   Lauren then lofted a long fly to right that got Katie over to third, from where Cat knocked her in with a grounder to the right side.  The next inning Kayla got aboard and Taylor bunted her to second.   After Shelby's grounder got her to third, Sara---who was on base three of four at-bats---knocked her in with her second single of the game.  

 Skyline got a run in the bottom of the fifth but we came right back with an insurance run in the top of the sixth.  Mak reached first and advanced on a passed ball; she scored on Katie's hard-hit grounder off the first baseman's glove and it was 3-1.  Madi set them down the rest of the way and the game was ours, as for the fourth straight game Falcon opponants scored one run or less.

Sometimes you have to grind them out.  A gritty win for the Falcons.