Manson struggles to plate anything against Tonasket

CHELAN - If you were looking for offense at either of the Manson softball or baseball games this past weekend at Mt. Goat field, you came to the wrong place. Unless of course you were a Tonasket fan. 

In four games, both the softball and baseball teams were outscored by a total of 77-0. 

• Softball 

“The Lady Trojans hosted their first home games of the season on Chelan’s field,” head coach Kendra Farnsworth said after the game. “We were missing four key starters, which had a big impact on the games. Nevertheless, the girls that were there really stepped up. We had girls playing in positions they’ve never been in before and it took some time, but they learned what to do.” 

The overall lack of experience at each position was evident in the mass of errors and miscommunication in the first game. Offensively, the girls struggled to make solid contact against the Tonasket pitcher. The eventual final score of the first game was 32-0. 

Manson got a better result in the second game - although they lost 17-0 - as three girls all reached base from either walks or drop third strikes. 

“The girls were aggressive on the bases and able to advance to third on passed balls, but we weren’t able to get across the plate,” Farnsworth wrote in her game report.  

As the season wears on, the Trojans will look to improve as each game progresses. 

• Baseball

The Trojan baseball team was also forced to play at Mt. Goat field do to the lingering poor field conditions at their home park at Singleton. 

Defensive woes plagued the Trojans as they racked up dive errors on the day. Although one highlight of the day came when senior Mason Cameron made a nice catch in right field. 

“Cameron is playing in his first baseball season since eighth grade, and has shown true grit and an outstanding determination to compete, work hard in practice and contribute to the team,” head coach Bill Thompson wrote in his game report. 

Offensively, Manson could not get anything going against the Tonasket pitcher, as they struck out 11 times and only managed one hit off the bat of junior Zach Serafini. 

The second game saw much of the same for the Trojans. They made three more costly defensive errors and labored to get any offensive runners. Manson lost by a final score of 16-0. 

Like the softball team, the Manson baseball squad will look to use their spring break to improve on their fundamentals before progressing in the season. 

Next up for both teams is a game against Soap Lake on Tuesday, April 11. First pitch in both games in 4:30 p.m. 

Zach Johnson can be reached at lcmeditor@gmail.com or (509) 682-2213