Lady Raiders edge out Omak in two wins

Running in with a movie script-like ending, Sawyer Steffens crossed home plate after her hit over the fence for the Lake Roosevelt Lady Raiders' second win in Saturday's doubleheader against Omak in Grand Coulee.

Lake Roosevelt edged out the Omak Pioneers 6-5 in the first game, 5-4 in the second.

"What Sawyer did in that second game was what most kids dream of," Coach Jaci Gross said. "Bottom of the seventh, two outs, and a walk-off homerun. It was something I will never forget."

Aspen Smith was on first when Steffens slugged it over the fence to bring LR from a 4-3 deficit to a 5-4 win in their final at bat.

The drama came at the end but the hits added up throughout the day. In game two, Steffens went 4-4 at bat for two singles, a triple, and the walk-off with two RBIs. In game one, Aaliyah Marchand's hitting went 2-3 to lead LR batters.

Steffens' homer was the second one of game two for the Lady Raiders. Marchand's solo homerun in the second inning put LR on the board.

Marchand pitched the entire 14-inning day, striking out 26 batters, walking eight and allowing eight hits, "a heck of an effort" with "her bat just as strong, going 4-10 with a deep solo homerun," Gross said.

She also noted Nautika Brown "was flawless at third base" and that eighth-grader Juel Swager's batting is impressive.

The Lady Raiders capped the week with their 11th win in a row, beating Tonasket yesterday (April 18) 12-5.

The streak puts their win-loss record at 11-5.

Next up, LR plays Manson in Grand Coulee on Thursday at 4:30 p.m., then hosts Tonasket in a doubleheader Saturday starting at 11 a.m.