LAKEWOOD — After watching South Whidbey crush Lakewood 6-0 in the first inning of this softball match up, many expected the game to be an easy win for the visiting Falcons.

Surprisingly, the Cougar girls rallied in the seventh and final inning of the March 30 game to cut the final score at 13-8. Even though Lakewood lost, the young team was filled with optimism.

“The girls did many things right in this game,” said Lakewood coach Steve Barker. “We stole a couple bases. We turned the first in-field double play in eight years. Some freshmen made mistakes in the beginning of the game, but learned from them and caught those fly balls toward the end. And eight runs is the most we’ve scored all season.”

Even with a large deficit, the Cougars hung in there with a strong offensive performance by the top of the batting lineup. The girls scored four runs in the seventh and final inning, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Falcons. Freshman Arrianna Barrio scored runs in the third, fifth and seventh innings. The next two batters in the lineup, Cheyenne Wilson and Kahlee Barrio scored in the third and seventh innings. Kayla Mell also scored a run in the bottom of the seventh.

Coach Barker also explained, “We’re in spring break so we lost a couple players on vacation. Also academic reports came out so we lost a few to ineligibility. We had to bring some JV players up to the varsity level and throw them into the lineup. That’s always a learning experience.”

Experience will only help this team find its niche at winning.