By Chris Derrick, NWPrepsNow.com
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The wind at Shadle Park kicked up about midway through Friday’s game, blowing out to left field as it often does.
Jaya Allen made it her fortunate wind.
Allen’s two-out, three-run homer to left-center in the fifth inning snapped a 3-all tie and lifted the host Highlanders to a 6-3 victory over Mead in a taut, well-played Greater Spokane League softball game.
“Honestly, it wasn’t for sure that it was going to go over,” said Allen, who finished with four runs batted in and was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts and no walks. “I thought it was too high ... and I was just praying that the wind was there to push it over.”
“I tried,” Mead senior left fielder Erin Kautzman said. “I kind of jumped over the fence, but I didn’t quite make it. … It was a good hit, though, a really good hit.”
Shadle (8-1) remained tied for first place with University. Mead (7-2) fell into a third-place tie with Mt. Spokane, which plays at Shadle on Tuesday.
“We both played well,” Highlanders coach Guy Perham said. “Both teams limited their mistakes. … We got a couple of extra hits and the wind helped (Allen’s homer). That’s what Shadle does. The wind blows that way. But (Allen) got it up and that’s the nature of the game.”
“Give Jaya credit,” Mead coach Joel Shawen said. “That’s a well-hit ball and that’s the same pitch she struck out on the inning before, in the at-bat before. ... But if it’s at our park, Erin catches it.”
Kautzman helped the Panthers tie the game at 3 in the top of the fifth. Her deep double to left-center scored Shannon Payne, who had singled to lead off. Kautzman moved to third on an errant throw from the outfield and scored on Sydney Shanholtzer’s fielder’s choice.
Breanna Barnes and Kaitlyn Scoble started Shadle’s winning rally with singles to open the fifth. Panthers senior pitcher Kylie Bremner recorded two outs before Allen’s third homer of the season and her first winner.
“I’m just thinking base hit, base hit, base hit, anything to get the runners in scoring position or to advance them in any way,” Allen said. “I never think about hitting home runs because then I’d pop my back shoulder down and the ball just goes everywhere.”
Allen, Shadle’s cleanup hitter, also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly during Shadle’s two-run first. Scoble walked to open the game and scored on Laurie Jones’ single to center.
Bremner had a sacrifice fly in the fourth and a deep drive in the sixth that left fielder Skyla Mangis ran down.
“Yes, you’re upset because you lost, but there’s nothing to be upset about with how we played,” Shawen said.