No one to stop them

Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, March 31, 2004

What will it take for anyone to score a run on the Falcon fastpitch team? To this point, nobody knows.

Lynden Christian came close in the first inning of the Falcons’ home opener at South Whidbey High School Monday, putting one runner on base and nearly getting another on with a bunt that went foul at the last second. But as with two other opponents in the past week, close was not quite good enough as the South Whidbey girls took their fifth shutout victory in a row, beating the Lyncs 9-0 to move to 5-0 on the season.

In fact, during the past week, only one team, Anacortes, has given the Falcons a real challenge. Last Friday at Anacortes High School, a fastpitch game involving the Falcons came as close to a draw as any this season. With junior pitcher Christie Robinson holding Anacortes to just two hits while tallying 12 strikeouts, the Falcons had to wait until the sixth inning to score their only run in the 1-0 victory. Doing the job was Robinson — who got on base with a two-out single — and junior Kelsey Broderick and junior Danielle Burton. Broderick moved Robinson to second base, then Burton singled her home.

The victory came three days after the Falcons took their first North Cascades Conference victory in grand style against Granite Falls. On the road and in the Tigers’ den, the Falcons met a club improved over the past year, but still vulnerable, as South Whidbey proved by taking the game 8-0. Robinson again had the shutout, allowing just two hits and notching 18 strikeouts. Junior Carolann Lubach had the most success at the plate for her team, going 3-for-4 with 2 RBIs. Senior Brownyn Russell was 2-for-3 with one RBI and scored twice.