The Bonney Lake Panthers' home opener was well worth the wait, both for the packed crowd and for the players on the field. Under looming dark clouds that mercifully held their rain until after the final out, the Panthers stormed past the Enumclaw Hornets with a commanding 17-7 victory in five innings.
The Panthers, who ruled the 3A league last season with a flawless 12-0 district record, have stepped up into the SPSL 4A division this year. Their opening opponent, Enumclaw, also finds themselves in a new setting, moving up from 2A after finishing third in their league with an 11-5 record. The game started slightly behind schedule as both teams waited for an umpire, but the delay did nothing to cool the energy from the stands or the dugouts. Music blasted, fans packed both sides, and the stage was set for a high-energy matchup.
Senior ace Aspyn Evanson took the mound for the Panthers, but the Hornets wasted no time applying pressure. A leadoff walk followed by a two-run home run gave Enumclaw an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first. However, Bonney Lake remained unfazed. The Panthers responded in typical fashion—by lighting up the scoreboard.
Hitting second in the lineup, Lauryn Lee did what she does best—getting on base—setting the table for Zhosi Pool, who drove her in with an RBI. Freshman first baseman Maddie Speir made an immediate impact, launching a double to bring in two more runs. Gabi Davis followed with a single, and Morgan Berg broke the game open with a two-RBI single. By the time the dust settled on the first inning, the Panthers had batted around and taken an 11-3 lead in an explosive, hour-long frame.
From there, Evanson settled into her groove, keeping the Hornets in check while her teammates continued to pour it on. In the second inning, Pool added a two-RBI triple, stretching the lead to 13-4. The third brought more fireworks, as Maddi Peri nearly cleared the fence with a two-run double, pushing the advantage to 16-4.
Enumclaw scraped together a few runs in the fourth, but the Panthers ensured there would be no comeback. Speir capped off her stellar night with an RBI double in the fifth, enforcing the mercy rule and sealing the 17-7 victory.
The Panthers’ emphatic win sets the tone for their move into the 4A division, proving that they remain a force to be reckoned with. Next up, they’ll travel to Auburn Mountainview High School for a Saturday night showdown at 6:00 PM.
If this home opener was any indication, Bonney Lake softball is ready to make noise in their new league.
Box Score
Batting
Player | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | HR | 3B | 2B | SB |
Morgan Berg | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lauryn Lee | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Zhosi Pool | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Hallie Beers | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Maddie Speir | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Aspyn Evanson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kendell Thomas | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Gabi Davis | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Maddi Perry | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Addison Hanel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Pitching
Pitcher | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | W | SV | |
Aspyn Evanson | 5 | 11 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |
If you want up to the minute stats on these softball games, check out https://gc.com/ or download the Game Changer App!
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