North Tahoe softball: Lakers off to hot start after tourney

North Tahoe fared well in its first test of the season, going 3-1-1 in the Yerington Tournament last weekend.

The Lakers defeated Lone Pine, 6-4, Smith Valley, 8-4, and Coleville, 14-5, and lost to league foe Whittell, 9-8. They also played Whittell to a 9-9 tie.

Senior Christina Lane led the Lakers offensively, posting a .667 batting average in five games. Sophomore Alexa Andrews hit .583 in the tourney and senior Shea Mesa .556.

Mesa and Lane, North Tahoe’s top two pitchers, threw two games apiece. Lane recorded nine strikeouts while allowing eight hits, and Mesa struck out eight batters while giving up six hits.

Sophomore Mealani Mesa pitched one game as well, beating Smith Valley in a game cut short due to the “drop-dead rule,” which is enforced in tournaments 90 minutes after the first pitch. She had seven strikeouts in just three innings and gave up three hits.

Andrews, North Tahoe’s home run leader as a freshman last year, went 2 for 3 with a home run and a triple against Coleville. Andrews also had a double in the tie against Whittell and went 2 for 3 in the loss to Whittell.

Shea Mesa had a triple against Lone Pine and two doubles in the second game against Whittell, while her sister Mealani hit a double in the final game.

Freshman Heidi Jimenez and Lane both went 2 for 2 against Smith Valley.