This past week, before the suspensions due to COVID-19, the Lincoln County Lynx baseball and softball teams were able to squeeze in a short trip to Las Vegas to participate in the Spring Slam Tournament. The results were mixed for the boys, but very successful for the girls.
The boys emerged from their first tournament with a 1-1 record. The game was held March 12, and their first opponent, the Virgin Valley Bulldogs, had already started their season. While LCHS could have jumped into tournaments earlier in the year, they chose not to do so in order to allow their seniors and juniors to participate in the bi-yearly trip to Washington D.C. However, with those more experienced members of the team missing, the Bulldogs were able to defeat the Lynx 5-3.
The Lynx’s next game went in their favor as they faced their rivals to the south, the Pahranagat Valley Panthers. During an interview earlier this month, Coach Michael Collins noted the “incredible support” both teams had for their players, which only helped make the game more interesting and challenging. This time around, the Panthers lost to the Lynx 5-1.
Softball was a different story. The Lynx walked away from the tournament with a perfect record. During their first game, which also happened to be against the Virgin Valley Bulldogs, the Lynx drew first blood with an exciting home run out to right field from senior Sadie Soderborg, which she followed up with two RBIs, walking away with three runs before the game ended. Her performance didn’t end on offense, however; as pitcher, she struck out five of the 21 batters she faced, only giving up four hits and one run. Another senior, Macie Howard, did her part with a triple before getting one run, while sophomore Mo Davis rounded them out with two runs of her own. In the end, the Lady Lynx pulled out a 7-2 victory against their first opponents of the season.
The Lady Lynx’s next game pitted them against the Wells Leopards. This time around, junior Lexi Long took to the mound to start the game, and she gave up only two hits and one run while striking out a batter for good measure. Soderborg then took over and struck out seven players, while Howard ran circles around the Leopards with one RBI, one double and four runs. Junior Ava Pearson kept up with the seniors with two of her own runs, as did Ellie Frehner. At the end of the day, the Lady Lynx dominated their opponents 13-1.
Later that same day, the girls faced the Mountain View Saints, and they saved their best performance for last. Lasting only four innings, this was a chance for Coach Phil Boucher to see how his younger players could do, and they did not disappoint. The girls scored 16 runs and stopped the Saints from scoring even once, with standout performances from Thornock, Lamb, Romero and Rippetoe. Josee Lytle, the pitcher for the evening, held Mountain View to two hits while striking out four batters.
While both teams did their part to continue the Lynx legacy, their season has been cut short by the serious health concerns posed by the coronavirus. According to a statement put out by the NIAA, all games and practices are suspended until further notice to stop the spread of the disease. This is particularly hard on the seniors of both teams, since they had looked forward to this season with their team.
