Hickethier Lifts Breakers Over Lady Wardens

Game 1 Box

Game 2 Box

Replay

The Deer Lodge Wardens made the trip to Missoula Thursday to play a doubleheader against the Loyola Breakers and Loyola sent the Wardens home with a pair of loses, taking game one 10-3, and winning game two 16-4.

Game one started out with the Wardens striking blood first in the opening inning with three runs, but Loyola pitcher Kayla Hickethier took a deep breath, dug her toe in the dirt and stone walled Deer Lodge for the remainder of the game. Hickethier went on to strikeout 17 batters, walked two, and only allowed the three runs in the opening inning in the seven innings she pitched. At the plate the Breakers were led by Hickethier as well as she would go 3-4 with three runs, three RBI’s, and a solo shot home run. Third baseman Natalie Goodman swing the bat well for Loyola going 3-4 with three runs and a pair of RBI’s. As a team the Breakers went 12-31 at the plate with 10 RBI’s and were walked three times in the game one 10-3 win.

In game two the Breakers picked up where they left off in game one with a pair of runs in the opening inning, but it was the second and third innings that had fire works. Going into the second inning Loyola led 2-0 and Molly Mitko had just scored off a Goodman single when  Hickethier stepped to plate with loaded bases and knocked the ball over the fence for a grand slam. Hickethier went to the plate one inning later and with runners at first and second Hickethier slapped another ball over the fence for her third home run on the day, her first coming in the first game. Hickethier went on to go 3-4 with two runs and eight RBI’s, giving her a stat line for the day of 6-8 at the plate, five runs, 11 RBI’s and 3 home runs.

Loyola improves to 8-2 on the season and will host the Troy Trojans and play Manhattan on Saturday with first pitch at 10:00 am for the first game.