The Lady Bomber softball team moved to 5-4 on the season as they earned the Consolation Championship at the I-40 Classic tournament this past weekend in Clinton. The Lady Bombers got off to a rocky start in the tournament with a 6-2 opening round loss to Elk City. Freshman pitcher Abby Cotten did the job in the circle striking out two and giving up just one earned run in 4 innings of work, but the young Lady Bomber defense didn’t give her much support committing seven errors leading to five unearned runs. Offensively the Lady Bombers couldn’t get much going either managing just two runs on five hits. Amber Wasinger drove in both Lady Bomber runs but it wasn’t enough to overcome the defensive mistakes as the Lady Bombers fell into the consolation bracket.

The Lady Bombers got things back on track in the second round of the tournament as they pounded out eight hits and scored seven runs in support of senior pitcher Amber Wasinger, who threw five strong innings allowing only three hits and striking out six to earn the 7-3 win over Merritt. Brittany Varenhorst lead off the game with a single and later scored on a Wasinger hit. Wasinger would score as Ashley Brown doubled off the left field wall and the Lady Bombers never looked back. The Lady Bombers added two more in the second when Sage Watson and Titeanna Finley started the inning with consecutive singles and later scored on a throwing error by the Merritt defense. Wasinger scored in the third on a Sarah Flanigan double. The Lady Bombers added the final two runs in the fourth when Finley and Brittany Blackford opened the inning with hits and scored on groundouts by Cotten and Wasinger. The game was never in doubt as the Lady Bombers scored in all but one inning, however, Merritt did make it interesting as they loaded the bases in the last inning before freshman pitcher Emily Wasinger came on in relief and recorded three consecutive outs to earn the save sending the Lady Bombers to the consolation championship against Woodward.

Amber Wasinger was back in the circle against Woodward and the senior pitcher was dominating as she struck out nine and allowed just four hits in the 5-0 shutout. It didn’t take the Lady Bomber offense long to get going in this one as they scored three in the first. Varenhorst reached on a dropped third strike to open the inning and scored on a Brown double. Flanigan followed with a single before a Karlyn Mitchell double plated her and Ashley Rodriquez, who was in to run for Brown. The Lady Bombers finished their scoring in the fourth as Mitchell and Watson opened the inning with hits and scored on groundouts by Finley and Varenhorst.

The Lady Bombers take the field again this week as they host Class 4A’s ninth ranked Cache on Thursday and Class A’s seventh ranked Velma-Alma on Friday.