There are two MILL players, Katie Hendrickson and Caroline Hamilton, on the combined Bell East/Bell Thunderbird/MI 10-11 softball team.  Last night this 10-11 softball team beat Snoqualmie Valley 13-6.  The bats came alive and the team jumped out to a first inning 5-0 lead.  Bell East pitcher Sophie Sliger pitched a gritty complete game.  Bell East shortstop Nikita Hesketh played a brilliant game overall.  The game would have ended early under the 10 run rule but for a few fifth inning defensive lapses that allowed Sno Valley to score some late runs. 

District Nine’s website lists MI’s own Katie Hendrickson as the game’s offensive highlight.  Katie led the hit parade going 2/3 and playing a very heady hot corner.  Early in the game, the defensive tone was set when Katie recorded an unassisted double play by catching a line drive and quickly tagging the runner at third to end the inning (she then threw to second for the attempted triple play).  Caroline Hamilton went 1/3 with some more stolen bases.  Late in the game, Caroline froze a Sno Valley hitter rounding second and heading for third attempting a triple when Caroline quickly threw the ball from the centerfield warning track to the shortstop (the Sno Valley hitter had the best hit of the game when she absolutely tagged the ball into the gap in left field).  Both Katie and Caroline made solid contact and worked the Sno Valley outfielders. 

The next game for these ladies is 9:00 Saturday morning.  The team will play the winner of tonight’s game between Eastlake/Issaquah and Sno. Valley North.  The head coach for the Bell East/BT/MI team is Sammamish High School varsity softball head coach Jessica Cabales.  A lot of credit has to go to coach Jessica.